According to government livestock analyst Ann Boyda: “The price of Alberta pork in 2022 was higher than in 2021, but only this year, the median price is lower than the median price for the same period in 2022. So far this year. (from January to April 10, 2023 ), the average pork price was $1.81/kg, 6% lower than the average price for the same period in 2022. The average price in 2022 was $2.27/kg, 10.7% above the 2021 average price and 28.7% above the 5-year average.”
According to Statistics Canada, as of January 1, 2023, the total pig census in Alberta was 1.53 million head, 2.5% less than in January 2022. The breeding census decreased by 3% to 134, 800 heads during the same period.
The annual slaughter volume in Western Canada was 1,644,938 head in the week before April 4th, 6.2% more than the same period last year. At the national level, the volume of slaughter this year was only 3,736,084 heads, 0.1% less than the same period of the previous year. The federal and provincial slaughter in Alberta stands at 394,091 head for the period January to March 4, 2023. This volume should be compared to the slaughter of the same age in 2022.
Alberta exported $32.9 million worth of live pigs in 2022, 18% less than in 2022. The value of pork exported in 2022 was $ 538.5 million, 4.2% more than in 2021. The total export of pigs (572,768 heads) decreased by 5% in 2022 compared to 2021. The total export volume (143,711 tons) also decreased in 2022 compared to 2021 by 3.9% .
The value of the export of live pigs in January 2023, which was 2.9 million, an increase of 13.1% compared to January 2022, but the value of the export of pork 26.1 million dollars, a drop of 36.3% compared to January 2022. The price of exports in January 2023 is 44,496 head, an increase 19.8% compared with January 2022, and the volume of meat exports from pork 8325 tons, a decrease of 27.4% compared with January 2022.
The main markets for Alberta pork continue to be Japan, the United States, Mexico, South Korea and China. The value of exports to the US, Japan and South Korea increased by 28.8%, 2.92% and 33.75%, respectively in 2022. The value of exports to Mexico and China in 2022 decreased by 11.17% and 66.93%, respectively.
