Stocks of frozen and chilled meats, July 1, 2020
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Released: 2020-08-13
Data on stocks of frozen and chilled meats for the third quarter were collected after the COVID-19 pandemic began. There were some disruptions in the food supply chain, with temporary closures and reductions in production at slaughter and meat processing facilities, due to the COVID-19, affecting the stocks of frozen and chilled meats.
Stocks of frozen and chilled meats in cold storage totalled 115 664 tonnes as of July 1, down 7.3% from April 1, 2020. Stocks of frozen pork meats continued to account for the largest amount of frozen and chilled meat available in Canada (64 435 tonnes), followed by stocks of frozen beef meats (34 646 tonnes).
Chart 1
Canadian quarterly stocks of frozen and chilled meats
Compared with April 1, 2020, the July 1 stocks of frozen pork meats were down 12.6%. A decrease in hog slaughter in the second quarter (April to June) and higher pork exports in the first two quarters (January to June) of 2020 may also have contributed to this decline.
As of July 1, 2020, stocks of frozen beef meats were down 8.5% from the previous quarter (April 1, 2020). During this period, total imports of beef meats also declined, down 18.1%.
Quebec held the largest portion of stocks of frozen pork meats (55.5%) as of July 1, 2020, while Ontario held the largest portion of stocks of frozen beef meats (40.0%).
Chart 2
Quarterly stocks of frozen and chilled pork meats, by province
Chart 3
Quarterly stocks of frozen and chilled beef meats, by province
Note to readers
This release contains data on stock holdings for various cuts of pork, beef, veal, mutton and lamb, and fancy meats at the national level, as well as total red meats at the regional level. This release also includes the holdings of imported meat at the national level for the same periods.
The data for April 1, 2020, on stocks of frozen and chilled meats, domestic and imported, have been revised with this release.
The Agriculture and Food Statistics Portal, accessible from the Subjects module of our website, provides users a single point of access to a wide variety of information related to agriculture and food.
Contact information
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