Canadian Dairy Statistics Third Quarter 2008

Canadian milk producers sold 7.67 million kilolitres of milk and cream to dairies during the 2007-2008 dairy year, up 2.5% from last year, says a third quarter 2008 dairy report, written by Statistics Canada.

15 November 2008

4 minute read

Highlights

For the 12 month period ending September 30, 2008 Canadian requirements were 50.19 million hectolitres as determined by the Canadian Milk Supply Management Committee (CMSMC).
Canadian milk producers sold 7.67 million kilolitres of milk and cream to dairies during the 2007-2008 dairy year, up 2.5% from last year.
Industrial milk sales, which accounted for 60.5% of all milk sold, totalled 4.64 million kilolitres.
Fluid milk sales, at 3.03 million kilolitres, were 1.4% above year-ago levels.
Canadian consumers purchased 3.02 million kilolitres of milk and cream during the 2007-2008 dairy year, up 0.4% from last year levels.
Sales of 2% milk, the most popular, were up 0.4% at 1 250 thousand kilolitres. Sales of 1%milk and skim milk both increased, at 603 thousand kilolitres and 289 thousand kilolitres respectively. Sales of standard (homogenized) milk at 383 thousand kilolitres declined 4.1%.
Total cream sales, at 288 thousand kilolitres, were slightly above year-ago levels.
Butter production increased during the 2007-2008 dairy year to 84.2 thousand tonnes from 73.5 thousand tonnes a year ago.
Total production of variety and cheddar cheese increased 1.9% from last year levels during the 2007-2008 dairy year.
Variety cheese production, at 230.5 thousand tonnes, was up 3.0% and cheddar cheese production, at 143.2 thousand tonnes, was virtually unchanged from the same period last year.

Introduction

This publication provides a statistical summary on the dairy industry in Canada and the provinces for current and previous calendar years.

Data include monthly, as well as year-to-date information, on farm sales of milk and cream for fluid and industrial purposes, cash receipts from milk and cream sold off farms, production, stocks, and supply and disposition of creamery butter, cheddar cheese and other dairy products and by-products. Data series are available on a historic basis since 1920.

This publication, Dairy Statistics, provides statistical information on the dairy products industry at national and provincial levels. Through co-operation between provincial departments of agriculture, milk marketing boards and Statistics Canada, dairy statistics are collected, compiled, disseminated and analyzed on a monthly basis.

Information on the volume of milk and cream sold off farms and commercial sales of fluid milk and cream by dairies are used by governments and provincial marketing boards in calculating provincial market sharing quota allotment and skim-off credit. These data are also important as an indicator of changes in the supply-managed dairy industry, a major contributor to total farm cash receipts.

Analysis

Canadian requirements

For the 12 month period ending September 30, 2008 Canadian requirements were 50.19 million hectolitres as determined by the Canadian Milk Supply Management Committee (CMSMC).

Canadian requirements, which are calculated by the Canadian Dairy Commission (CDC), represent the total demand for industrial milk and cream and are the basis for establishing national Market Sharing Quota (MSQ).

Off-farm sales to dairies slightly below last year’s level

Canadian milk producers sold 7.67 million kilolitres of milk and cream to dairies during the 2007-2008 dairy year, up 2.5% from last year. Industrial milk sales, which accounted for 60.5% of all milk sold, totalled 4.64 million kilolitres. Fluid milk sales, at 3.03 million kilolitres, were 1.4% above year-ago levels.

Total sales of milk and cream by dairies up marginally

Canadian consumers purchased 3.02 million kilolitres of milk and cream during the 2007-2008 dairy year, up 0.4% from last year levels.

Sales of 2% milk, the most popular, were up 0.4% at 1 250 thousand kilolitres. Sales of 1% milk and skim milk both increased, at 603 thousand kilolitres and 289 thousand kilolitres respectively. Sales of standard (homogenized) milk at 383 thousand kilolitres declined 4.1%. Total cream sales, at 288 thousand kilolitres, were slightly above year-ago levels.

Butter production increased

Butter production increased during the 2007-2008 dairy year to 84.2 thousand tonnes from 73.5 thousand tonnes a year ago.

Total cheese production increased

Total production of variety and cheddar cheese increased 1.9% from last year levels during the 2007-2008 dairy year. Variety cheese production, at 230.5 thousand tonnes, was up 3.0% and cheddar cheese production, at 143.2 thousand tonnes, was virtually unchanged from the same period last year.