Canadian Beef and Pork Consumption Rise
CANADA - Consumption of beef and pork rose in Canada last year while chicken consumption fell.
21 June 2013
2 minute read
According to figures from the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, Canadian consumption of beef was 20kg per head – a rise of 1.1 per cent.
Pork consumption rose by four per cent to 16.8kg, but chicken consumption fell by 0.8 per cent to 30kg.
The CAA said that chicken consumption was at its peak n 2007 when it reached 31.6kg per head.
Overall, total per capita meat consumption was up 1 per cent to 66.8 kg in 2012.
“Over the last 40 years Canadians have consumed between 66 and 75 kg of protein annually with a long term average of 69.7 kg per capita,” the CAA said.
“Gains in all protein categories indicate a more confident consumer for the first time since the global financial crisis in 2008.”
Beef consumption last year was hit by lower exports and larger imports in the fourth quarter of 2012 following the XL Foods E.coli recall in September.
“Despite domestic beef production being down seven per cent, trade volumes resulted in larger net beef supplies,” the CAA said.
“Total beef consumption in Canada was up two per cent to 954,740 tonnes with exports down 21 per cent and imports up six per cent for the year.
“The proportion of beef coming from imports increased to 27 per cent in 2012 from 26 per cent in 2011. This is back in line with the long term average and inching closer to the 2001/02 levels of 32 per cent.
“Last summer the media made consumers aware of the drought conditions and the potential impact it would have on food prices. As such nominal retail beef prices increased 6.7 per cent in 2012, after being up 6 per cent in 2011 and 5.7 per cent in 2009. Overall prices in 2012 were 20 per cent higher than six short years ago in 2007.
“Larger consumption combined with higher prices meant beef demand, a measure of consumer willingness to pay, was up a startling 6.6 per cent to 53.6 (1980=100). This is the highest demand index since 2007 and is the second year of higher demand after a modest 0.3 per cent increase in 2011,” the CAA concluded.
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