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. 2015 Jul;56(7):701-8.

Demographics of the Canadian dairy industry from 1991 to 2011

Murray D Jelinski  1 , Stephen LeBlanc  1 , Richard Kennedy  1
Affiliations

Demographics of the Canadian dairy industry from 1991 to 2011

Murray D Jelinski et al. Can Vet J. 2015 Jul.

Abstract
in English, French

A retrospective study of the demographics of the Canadian dairy industry was conducted using data derived from Statistics Canada's Census of Agriculture from 1991 to 2011. This longitudinal study shows that Canada's dairy industry has undergone considerable consolidation. From 1991 to 2011, the number of dairy producers and dairy farms decreased by 48.9% and 61.9%, respectively. Furthermore, this trend in consolidation is likely to continue; nearly half (45.8%) of all dairy producers in Canada were ≥ 50 y of age in 2011. Not only will most of these producers be retired by 2021, but younger producers will also exit the industry for other reasons. These findings mirror what is occurring in Canada's cow-calf industry, underscoring that supply-managed sectors experience demographic consolidation similar to non-supply managed sectors. These substantial changes will have ramifications for the veterinary profession. There will be fewer but larger farms, and the services and knowledge demanded of veterinarians will change accordingly, which has implications for food animal veterinary education.

Démographie de l’industrie laitière canadienne de 1991 à 2011. Une étude rétrospective de la démographie de l’industrie laitière canadienne a été réalisée à l’aide de données dérivées de statistiques provenant du Recensement de l’agriculture de 1991 à 2011 de Statistique Canada. Cette étude longitudinale montre que l’industrie laitière du Canada a subi une consolidation considérable. De 1991 à 2011, le nombre de producteurs laitiers et de fermes laitières a chuté de 48,9 % et de 61,9 %, respectivement. De plus, cette tendance à la consolidation se poursuivra probablement; près de la moitié (45,8 %) des producteurs laitiers du Canada étaient âgés de ≥ 50 ans en 2011. La majorité de ces producteurs prendra non seulement sa retraite d’ici 2021, mais les jeunes producteurs quitteront aussi l’industrie pour d’autres raisons. Ces résultats reflètent ce qui se passe dans l’industrie d’élevage-naissage et soulignent le fait que les secteurs à offre réglementée vivent une consolidation démographique semblable à celle des secteurs qui ne sont pas à offre réglementée. Ces changements importants auront des répercussions pour la profession vétérinaire. Il y aura moins de fermes mais elles seront plus grandes et les services et les connaissances demandées évolueront considérablement, ce qui aura des conséquences pour l’enseignement de la médecine vétérinaire des animaux destinés à l’alimentation.(Traduit par Isabelle Vallières).

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Age distribution (%) of Canadian dairy producers for the census years 1991 to 2011. The number at the top of each bar is the ratio of older producers (> 60 years of age) to younger producers (< 31 years of age).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Population pyramids representing all Canadian dairy producers for the census years 1991 (blue) and 2011(green). Female producers are represented in the left panel, males in the right, and the middle y-axis is the age ranges for producers.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Number of dairy cows (excluding replacement heifers) by region and census year. Shaded area represents extrapolated data for the census years 2016 and 2021. All data were extracted from Statistics Canada’s online databases.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Number of dairy operations by region and census year. Shaded area represents extrapolated data for the census years 2016 and 2021. All data were extracted from Statistics Canada’s online databases.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Average number of dairy cows (excluding heifers) per herd by region and census year. All data were extracted from Statistics Canada’s online databases.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Number of dairy producers in Canada by herd size (dairy cows and replacement heifers) and census year.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Number of dairy producers in Canada stratified by producers’ age and herd size (dairy cows and replacement heifers), as reported for the 2011 census.
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References

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    1. Statistics Canada. About the Census of Agriculture — History. [Last accessed May 22, 2015]. Available from: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/ca-ra2006/about-apropos/history-historique-eng.htm.
    1. Statistics Canada. The Daily May 10, 2012, 2011 Census of Agriculture. [Last accessed May 22, 2015]. Available from: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/120510/dq120510a-eng.htm.
    1. Statistics Canada. The Daily, May 15, 2002, 2001 Census of Agriculture — Canadian farm operations in the 21st century. [Last accessed May 22, 2015]. Available from: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/020515/tdq020515-eng.htm.
    1. Statistics Canada. Census of Agriculture, Farm data and farm operator data. 2006. [Last accessed May 22, 2015]. Available from: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/95-629-x/95-629-x2007000-eng.htm.

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