Poultry and egg statistics, May 2024 and annual 2023
Released: 2024-05-30
In 2023, poultry production and sales saw a rise, attributable to increased demand and higher product prices, marking a recovery from the 2022 avian influenza outbreak. Total poultry sales increased 7.7% year over year, reaching $4.5 billion in 2023, while poultry farmers collectively produced 1.6 billion kilograms of chicken, turkey and stewing hens (+3.6%).
Egg production increased 2.0% to 883.9 million dozen eggs in 2023.
Chicken production increases
Total Canadian chicken production (that includes stewing hens) rose 3.3% year over year to 1.4 billion kilograms in 2023. This growth was attributed to improvements in the supply of chicks from breeder and broiler farms, which had been affected by an avian influenza outbreak in 2022.
In Quebec, chicken production increased 5.8% to 379.2 million kilograms in 2023. Quebec's chicken production accounted for over one-quarter of Canada's total chicken production.
Total sales of chicken in Canada rose 7.4% to $4.1 billion in 2023.
Turkey production and sales increase
Turkey production increased for the first time in six years, rising 6.1% year over year to 159.3 million kilograms in 2023. Lower production levels in the years prior to 2023 were partly attributed to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and an avian influenza outbreak.
Turkey production accounted for 10.1% of total poultry production in Canada in 2023.
Total sales of turkey increased 10.1% year over year to $487.5 million in 2023.
Quebec leads the increase in poultry production
Poultry production was up in every province, with Quebec (+5.3%), Saskatchewan (+4.4%), the Atlantic provinces (+3.9%) and Alberta (+3.9%) reporting the largest increases in total poultry production in 2023.
The increased demand for poultry meat was evident through higher imports of frozen or chilled poultry meat and by-products, which were up 10.0% year over year to 169.3 million kilograms in 2023.
Egg production continues to grow
Total sales of eggs in Canada increased 8.4% year over year to $2.2 billion in 2023, primarily driven by higher egg prices. The average farm-gate price of eggs sold for consumption rose 6.3% to $2.19 per dozen.
Egg production increased 2.0% to 883.9 million dozen eggs in 2023. Table eggs made up 89.1% of the total eggs produced by Canadian farmers, with the remaining portion either sold to hatcheries or classified as rejects.
Despite contributing just over 10% to the overall table egg production in Canada in 2023, British Columbia stood out with its premium pricing. Producers in British Columbia earned an average of $2.67 per dozen for their table eggs, with approximately one-third of the province's egg production classified as specialty eggs.
Chart 1
Chicken (including stewing hen) production
Chart 2
Turkey production
Chart 3
Shares of poultry production by province, 2023
Chart 4
Production of eggs
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Note to readers
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 2024. Data on the placements of hatchery chicks and turkey poults are available for April 2024, and data on egg production are available for March 2024. Annual data on poultry and egg production are available for 2023.
In this release, poultry meat includes chicken, stewing hens and turkey.
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 Web Application. The Canadian International Merchandise Trade 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 2021. 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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