Alberta pork export markets

Alberta’s swine sector performance has faced challenges, but there are recent signs of Alberta’s hog margins improving.

“Alberta is a major pork exporting jurisdiction and the pork sector is a sound contributor to the provincial economy,” says Ann Boyda, provincial livestock market analyst with the Alberta government. “In 2022, the sector contributed $11.2 billion in gross domestic product and employed approximately 69,000 Albertans.”

In 2023, Alberta slaughtered 2.727 million hogs in federally inspected facilities, 1.784 million of Alberta origin. Alberta produced 2.169 million market hogs, with an estimated 82% processed in Alberta, 11% processed in British Columbia, and 6% in Manitoba. Alberta has an estimated 13% of the hog processing capacity in Canada

Over the last decade, live hog exports have declined from the peak of 714,727 head in 2016 to the low of 473,640 head in 2023. USDA suggests that the first quarter of 2024 may see larger market hog exports. Expansion in sow slaughter in Western Canada is suggested to see fewer cull sow exports. USDA has projected feeder exports will increase slightly in 2024, especially out of Western Canada.

Alberta exported 105,840 tonnes of pork product valued at $354.2 million in 2023. This volume was down 26.5% from the prior year and the export value declined by 34.4%. The greatest share of pork (28.3%) was chilled or fresh pork, followed by frozen swine cuts (19.4%), bone in fresh or chilled hams (18.9%) and fresh or chilled pork bellies (16.1%). Fresh or chilled bone in pork shoulders comprised 7% of the total export volume. Frozen edible offal, frozen bone in hams and shoulders, and fresh or chilled edible offal comprised 5.3%, 3.4% and 1.4% of export volume, respectively.

Alberta’s top export market remains the United States (U.S.) with 43,474 tonnes of pork product valued at $140.5 million, representing 39.7% of the market share. Japan is Alberta’s second largest market representing 28.7% of the total export value at $101.6 million and 18,930 tonnes of pork. Mexico represents Alberta’s third major market for pork at $48.6 million or 20,089 tonnes. Alberta also shipped 10,712 tonnes of pork to China, valued at $22.3 million and 6,947 tonnes of pork to the Philippines, valued at $18.5 million.

In terms of export volume, fresh or chilled bone in hams represent the largest export category with 63.2% destined for Mexico and 36.8% destined for the U.S. Approximately 54.6% of fresh or chilled pork was destined for U.S. and 41.4% to Japan. Japan was also the major market for fresh or chilled bone in pork shoulder