# Fewer cattle but bigger herds: Alberta cow-calf farmers in a shifting industry

> Canada's beef cow herd on cow-calf farms fell from 4.5 million head in January 2008 to about 3.2 to 3.3 million in January 2023. The average herd size per farm has grown as smaller operations exit. Slim margins and rising input costs are pushing producers to consolidate.

- Date: 2023-07-02 · published 2023-07-02T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: market · region Canada · magnitude low
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/35003-fewer-cattle-but-bigger-herds-alberta-cow-calf-farmers-in-a-shifting-industry
- Commodities: [Live Cattle](https://feedsoft.ai/c/LCATTLE.md)

## Why it matters

A structural decline in Canadian cow numbers tightens beef and feeder calf supply over time. This modestly supports cattle prices, although the effect is gradual.

## Read by commodity

- LCATTLE: bullish ▲

## Sources

- cbc.ca: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/fewer-cattle-but-bigger-herds-alberta-cow-calf-farmers-in-a-shifting-industry-1.6888744

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.