How much foreign meat is being consumed in Canada?

[skip]

Does anyone have any links to this data?

It looks we are losing our home market...the Canadian dollar is the big culprit in my mind...

Is there a AgCanada site tracking the imports into Canada?

[grassfarmer]

Figures are hard to come by but I saw some recently that indicate that beef imports are at a higher level than recent (post BSE) levels but they are not above longer term historical levels.

[kato]

check this out. There's lots of information here.

http://www.ats.agr.gc.ca/stats/stats-eng.htm

[kato]

It's not right up to date, but it's a start.

[wilagro]

The answer is...too much...but who cares as long as the packers are happy? The day that our federal government promotes or legislates the beef trade to any extent will never come.

They may limit quantities of boneless beef imports for processing use but generally those quotas historically have been quite generous and overages have been allowed in the past.

Right now, I would be happy to see large retailers beat the drum for Canadian grown product and advertise in support of the Canadian rancher/farmer. A long as COOL prevails in the USA, I would be in favour of a similar labeling scheme here.

If you "can't beat 'em join 'em."

[Sawbones]

It's not so much that there is foreign products on the shelf or that the customer is not paying enough for our beef, it's that the retailer and packer margins are too high in comparison to the cow/calf producer. The feedlots will adjust their prices and make their margins but the only one who can't is the cow/calf producer. We need to get our cattle out of the country on an international marketplace rather than the compulsory 15% discount we get by pricing on the American system. That's the difference between our Alberta steers and those a few miles south in Montana. We're on the same pay scale as a Coriente steer. Cattle bound for Japan from Cargill are priced through Greely Colorado. XL has shown no interest in developing foreign markets and is content to sell south. If we had the ability to move our cattle off North America for a profitable price, a shortage would be created and retailers would have to give us a larger share if they wanted the beef on their shelves. Supporting CBEF or CCA will not increase those margins as they still support the status quo. We have to add competition to the packing sector with a player who will work with us