Stocks of frozen and chilled meats, January 1, 2026
Released: 2026-03-06
Stocks of frozen and chilled meats in cold storage facilities totalled 133 588 tonnes as of January 1, 2026, a decrease of 0.8% compared with January 1, 2025.
Stocks of frozen and chilled pork (73 828 tonnes) continued to make up the largest proportion of frozen and chilled meats in cold storage facilities in Canada as of January 1, 2026, followed by stocks of frozen and chilled beef (41 350 tonnes).
Chart 1
Canadian stocks of frozen and chilled meats at January 1
Stocks of frozen and chilled pork in cold storage facilities as of January 1, 2026, were down 9.3% compared with one year earlier. An increase in exports of pork paired with a decline in imports in 2025 may have contributed to this decrease.
As of January 1, 2026, stocks of frozen and chilled beef in cold storage facilities increased 13.5% compared with one year earlier. Higher imports of beef in 2025 than in 2024 may have contributed to the increase in stocks.
At the national level, Quebec held 43.9% (32 429 tonnes) of the stocks of frozen and chilled pork as of January 1, 2026, while Ontario held 52.8% (21 842 tonnes) of the stocks of frozen and chilled beef.
Chart 2
Stocks of frozen and chilled pork meats on January 1, by province
Chart 3
Stocks of frozen and chilled beef meats on January 1, by province
Note to readers
This release contains national data on stock holdings for various cuts of pork, beef, veal, mutton and lamb and for fancy meats, as well as regional data for total red meats. This release also includes data on the holdings of imported meats at the national level.
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.
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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