It said drought will reduce the Canadian cattle herd by two per cent and that carcass weights will be lower than the heavy animals backed up by the impact of COVID-19 on meat-packing plants this year and last.
Domestic beef consumption is expected to weaken in the next year, however, strong global demand will support the industry’s export business, the GAIN report said.
Sow numbers will begin to increase next year and Canada will have more finishing capacity, the report said, and fewer market hogs will be shipped to the U.S. because the Olymel strike in Quebec is over.
Still, pork production is expected to decline by two per cent as pandemic backlogs are reduced and carcass weights drop.
