Chicken Farmers of Canada
It is little known that in good times, as in bad ones, it is our domestic Canadian market that represents the major source of revenue for our farmers and the food industry. Much too often people use the expression “Canada is a trading nation”, to the point where we’ve come to believe that foreigners buy most of what is produced in this country. That may be true for some industries, but it does not accurately represent the agriculture and agri-food sectors.
The biggest market for Canada’s farmers and processors is Canada. The Canadian agriculture and agri-food market is a vibrant one that encourages growth in value-added processing. Canada’s farmers are the foundation of that growth.
In net terms, 70% of the value of all the food produced in Canada (counting both the farm level production and the food processing industry) is sold right here to our fellow Canadians. This calculation is based on data provided by the Food and Value Chain Bureau of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and accounts for the fact that some of the primary production is used as an input in food processing.
Only 30% of Canadian agriculture and agri-food products are actually exported. Of the Canadian production, 20% goes to our NAFTA partners (Mexico and United States) with whom we enjoy free trade relations and a preferential market access, and the remaining 10% is exported throughout the rest of the world.
It is safe to say that our Canadian consumers are supporting tens of thousands of jobs in farming and food processing on a continuous basis, dire times or not, and for that we are so grateful! Canada’s chicken farmers are proud to raise the quality chicken that Canadians trust.
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