Agriculture and Lands
BC Beef Industry Overview
Beef cattle are raised throughout British Columbia. The majority of BC producers run either a cow/calf or cow/yearling operation. There is also a small but important feedlot sector. Production practices vary throughout the province, depending on the local climate and other factors. BC is a net importer of beef. BC produced beef accounts for less than 1/4 (~20%) of the beef consumed in BC. In part, this is because cattle are sent to Alberta feedlots to be finished before slaughter. The reason this is done is that Alberta has a readily available supply of feed grain. In total, about 45,000 head of cattle are slaughtered in BC each year. Excerpt: BCMAL Farm Practices (PDF 153KB)and About the IndustryJuly 1, 2000 |
July 1, 2001 |
July 1, 2002 |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Bull, One Year And Older |
18 |
17.5 |
18.0 |
| Beef Cows |
285 |
283 |
291.0 |
| Beef Heifers – Breeding |
55 |
55 |
57.5 |
| Beef Heifers – Slaughter |
22 |
20 |
22.0 |
| Steers, One Year And Over |
40 |
45 |
47.0 |
| Calves |
279 |
285.5 |
289.5 |
Source: FAST STATS 2004 (PDF 2450KB)
PRICES RECEIVED BY BC PRODUCERS ($/cwt)
| Livestock ($/cwt): |
2001 |
2002 |
| Feeder Steers (501-600 lb) | 145.85 | 126.56 |
| Feeder Steers (601-700 lb) | 136.04 | 119.77 |
| Feeder Steers (701-800 lb) | 127.08 | 113.51 |
| Feeder Steers (801-900 lb) | 120.32 | 108.68 |
| Feeder Heifers (601-700 lb) | 127.30 | 111.16 |
| D1,2 Cows | 62.82 | 53.96 |
| Bulls | 73.27 | 66.78 |
- Agri-food Statistical Information: BC Ministry of Agriculture and Lands
- Fast Stats 2006 (PDF 560KB): BC Ministry of Agriculture and Lands
- InfoBasket: Your Link to Agri-Food Information: BC Ministry of Agriculture and Lands
