A snapshot of the turkey industry in Canada (2020)
Number of Turkey Farmers | 521 |
Total Turkey Production – All Categories (million kg) | 157.8 |
Total Farmgate Value (million $) – 2020 | 366.6 |
Total Turkey Meat Exports (million kg) | 24.9 |
Total Turkey Meat Imports (million kg) | 3.1 |
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 August 2021 |
Annual and seasonal consumption statistics (2020)
Annual:
- Canadians consumed 143.8 million kg (Mkg) of turkey in the year 2020.
- Per capita turkey consumption in 2020 was 3.8 kg.
- An estimated 55.3 Mkg of turkey and turkey products were purchased at retail by Canadians in 2020 (excluding deli).
- Of that 55.3 Mkg, 43.6 Mkg of whole turkeys were purchased.
- In 2020, Canadian households consumed a total of 7.0 million whole turkeys.
- Annual sales of turkey parts and processed turkey products in Canadian supermarkets increased from 9.8 Mkg in 2016, to 11.6 Mkg in 2020 (excluding deli).
Thanksgiving:
- At Thanksgiving 2020, 2.5 million whole turkeys were purchased by Canadians, equal to 36% of all whole turkeys that were sold over the year.
Christmas:
- At Christmas 2020, 2.9 million whole turkeys were purchased by Canadians, equal to 41% of all whole turkeys that were sold over the year.