Quebec dairy production is an important part of the economy in all regions of Quebec. The approximately 9,281 owners of dairy farms spread across the entire territory market, each year, more than 3.60 billion liters of milk for a farm value of more than $3.61 billion, or 24 % of all Quebec agricultural revenues.
Quebec dairy companies are investing $649 million to maintain or improve their facilities. Quebec dairy farms were the source of 65,998 jobs (direct, indirect and induced) in 2022, for the entire sector, and generated $6.124 billion in Canadian gross domestic product (GDP). Dairy production generated total tax revenues of $1.034 billion at different levels of government.
Across Canada, 36% of revenues from dairy production come from Quebec, making it the main milk-producing province in Canada. Quebec ranks first among the provinces, whether for the volume of milk produced or for the number of farms engaged in this production. Dairy production ranks third among Canadian agricultural activities with nearly 11% of the approximately 41 billion in total cash receipts from agriculture.
Climatic, rainfall and soil conditions have always given Quebec advantages for the production of grassland and pastures. This abundant and quality forage supply was and still remains today an important asset for our province and its dairy production.
Size and number of farms
The Quebec dairy farm has an average herd of 82 cows and delivers more than 700,000 liters of milk per year. In Canada, the average herd is 102 cows. There are some 4,215 dairy farms in Quebec, spread across the entire cultivable territory, while there are approximately 9,400 in all of Canada.
In all productions and in practically all regions of the world, the trend is towards a reduction in the number of farms. The Quebec dairy sector is no exception. However, the pace of rationalization observed in Quebec is generally equal to or a little slower than that of most countries where dairy production is as significant.
The profile of Canadian farms is more comparable to that of European farms and the American Northeast than to that of farms in the American West and Oceania. For example, with the size of herds in the American West (more than 1,000 cows), Canada would have 940 dairy farms and only 340 farms would be needed in Quebec, instead of the approximately 4,087 still active today, to produce the same amount of milk.