Beef consumption question?

[rsomer]

Had a guy ask this question today.
Using simple figures, Canada has a population of 30 million, the US 300 million. Cattle population is similarly 10 to 1. Yet the US consumes over 90% of thier production. We supposedly consume only 30 of ours. Are we importing that much? I can't beleive that the average American's diet is that much different than the average Canadian.

[rsomer]

Total beef carcass disappearance in Canada per capita in 2003 was 51.37 pounds or 23.35 kgs. The equivalent value for the U.S. for 1997 was 98 lbs. Retail weight consumption is about 1/3 less than carcass weight disappearance. These numbers suggest that Canadians are only eating about 2 ounces of beef per day per person.

There is a good link that compares U.S. and Canadian meat consumption at http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/sis5216?opendocument

[rsomer]

Thanls rsomer. Hard to beleive there could be that much difference.

[grassfarmer]

Thanks for the figures rsomer, that is indeed interesting. I'm not great at arithmatic but if US consumption is roughly twice Canadian (98lbs vs 51lbs)that still doesn't add up to Randy's rough figuring that their population and cattle numbers being 10 times ours with the result that they eat 90% of their beef and we 30% of ours. If these 90% and 30% figures are right it would indicate Americans eat three times as much beef as Canadians not twice. Or is it too early in the day for me working out numbers?

[grassfarmer]

Excellent post on the bottom of the G8 topic cswilson, that's kind of where i'm headed. I like your idea above of having geographic areas of the country that climatically suit grass finishing but we must find a name other than "grass feedlots" or some of these new customers might run the other way!
I would also be concerned at the need to transport them to such an area if it involved long journeys. I much prefer the idea of producing, slaughtering and consuming beef in the local areas. It's better for the animals, environment,
local economy, producers pocket books and worse for the multi-nationals as it limits their access to the process and reduces their ability to steal the value out of our production chains.
There is an interesting essay available at "http://www.nehbc.org/articles.html" that perhaps,like Cam Ostercamps essay here, proved a pivital point in the grassfed movement in the US. In the eyes of the consumer it was an awakening, a realisation that they did have responsibility for the food they consume and the impact it's production has on the environment. Since it's publication the grassfed producers have been unable to meet the demand for their product.

[grassfarmer]

Oops posted this on the wrong thread!

[nerves]

This is a question that has puzzled me also. I heard on the radio the other day that private packers have killed around 900,000 head of cattle in the first quarter of the year. Over the year that would be a lot of critters. So then I have to wonder how much is coming from elsewhere.

[cowman]

That would be very interesting to know,nerves. Perhaps rsomer can come up with an answer, as he seems to be very good at knowing where to look?
Maybe even more important is how much beef is coming in from countries that continue to block our beef? If we've done all the "science stuff" to satisfy the WTO rules, and have been deemed safe, I think it would be entirely appropriate to refuse to take non-complying countries beef into our country? And in fact most of their other trade goods?