Poultry and egg statistics, May 2023 and annual 2022
Released: 2023-05-30
Poultry production and total sales increased in 2022 due to increased demand and product prices. However, increases in feed grain prices and the avian influenza outbreak increased production costs. In 2022, total sales of poultry increased by 14.0% from 2021 to $4.2 billion. Poultry farmers produced 1.5 billion kilograms of chicken, turkey and stewing hens. Egg production increased by 2.2% from 847.9 million dozen eggs in 2021 to 866.5 million dozen in 2022.
Chicken continues to lead total poultry production
In 2022, the production of chicken (which includes stewing hens) increased by 2.8% from 2021, as poultry farmers produced 1.37 billion kilograms of chicken. Chicken production accounted for 90.1% of total poultry production in Canada. However, in 2022, imports of live birds decreased 21.0% from 2021 to 8.6 million kilograms due to restrictions on imports of live birds, bird products and by-products in response to the avian influenza outbreak.
Turkey production declined 0.1% from 2021 to 150.2 million kilograms in 2022, the sixth consecutive annual decline.
Ontario leads production and sales of poultry
Ontario accounted for over one-third, or 478.4 million kilograms, of the chicken (including stewing hens) produced in Canada in 2022, while Quebec accounted for over one-quarter, or 358.5 million kilograms. Poultry meat production increased in both Ontario (+4.6%) and Quebec (+2.6%) from 2021. Ontario and Quebec also remained the top turkey-producing provinces. Ontario (71.4 million kilograms) produced 47.5% of Canada's turkey, while Quebec (29.6 million kilograms) produced 19.7%.
From 2021 to 2022, Ontario's poultry meat sales increased 16.3% to $1.5 billion, while Quebec's sales increased 12.9% to $1.1 billion.
Canadian egg sales continue to grow
In 2022, egg sales increased by 14.9% from 2021 to $2.1 billion due to the increase in egg prices. The higher farm price of eggs resulted in higher average value of eggs, which in turn increased sales. The average value of a dozen table eggs increased by 12.5% from 2021 to $2.38 in 2022.
In 2022, the monthly average egg farm-gate price ranged from 186.2 cents to 216.4 cents per dozen. In 2021, the average price ranged from 167.7 cents to 186.4 cents per dozen.
The average farmgate price of eggs increased in every province from 2021 to 2022. Producers in British Columbia received the highest price for their eggs, at $2.71 per dozen on average, up 12.6% from 2021, while producers in Prince Edward Island received the lowest price, at $2.08 per dozen on average, up 11.7%.
Chart 1
Chicken (including stewing hen) production
Chart 2
Turkey production
Chart 3
Shares of poultry production by province, 2022
Chart 4
Production of eggs
Note to readers
In this release, poultry meat includes chicken, stewing hen and turkey.
Poultry and egg statistics are available for Canada and the provinces. Data on stocks of frozen eggs and poultry meats, as well as edible dried egg products, are available for May 2023. Data on the placements of hatchery chicks and turkey poults are available for April 2023, and data on egg production are available for March 2023. Annual data on poultry and egg production are available for 2022.
Data on frozen eggs and poultry meats include chicken, turkey and duck stocks, as well as stocks of egg whites, egg yolks and dried eggs. Data on egg production include production, disposition, home consumption and egg prices.
Data on farm operating expenses of commercial feed were taken from table 32-10-0049. Farm operating expenses represent the business costs incurred by farm operators for goods and services used in the production of agricultural commodities.
Data on poultry imports were taken from the Canadian International Merchandise Trade (CIMT) Web Application. The CIMT Web Application offers the most detailed commodity trade data using the Harmonized System classification of goods.
For the latest information on the Census of Agriculture, visit the Census of Agriculture portal.
For more information on agriculture and food, visit the Agriculture and food statistics portal.
Revisions
Weekly and monthly data on poultry and eggs have been revised back to January 2020. This is the result of revisions to administrative data and survey data.
Contact information
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).
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