A snapshot of the turkey industry in Canada (2021)
Number of Turkey Farmers | 513 |
Total Turkey Production – All Categories (million kg) | 150.3 |
Total Farmgate Value (million $) – 2021 | 397.1 |
Total Turkey Meat Exports (million kg) | 22.3 |
Total Turkey Meat Imports (million kg) | 2.7 |
Number of Commercial Turkey Hatcheries | 7 |
Number of Federally Inspected Turkey Processing Plants | 17 |
Turkey Farmers of Canada; Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada; Statistics Canada Reviewed September 2022 |
Annual and seasonal consumption statistics (2021)
Annual:
- Canadians consumed 133.3 million kg (Mkg) of turkey in the year 2021.
- Per capita turkey consumption in 2021 was 3.5 kg.
- The Nielson Company reported an estimated 47.7.3 Mkg of turkey and turkey products were purchased at retail by Canadians in 2021 (excluding deli).
- Of that 47.7.3 Mkg, 36.5 Mkg of whole turkeys were purchased.
- In 2021, Canadian households consumed a total of 6.1 million whole turkeys.
- Annual sales of turkey parts and processed turkey products in Canadian supermarkets increased from 10.7 Mkg in 2017, to 11.2 Mkg in 2021 (excluding deli).
Thanksgiving:
- At Thanksgiving 2021, 2.7 million whole turkeys were purchased by Canadians, equal to 45% of all whole turkeys that were sold over the year.
Christmas:
- At Christmas 2021, 2.1 million whole turkeys were purchased by Canadians, equal to 35% of all whole turkeys that were sold over the year.