The study, conducted by EcoRessources, and entitled, “Update on the Economic Impacts of the Dairy Industry in 2015,” is the fourth update tracking the economic impact of the sector provided by the firm every two years since 2009.
“The Canadian dairy industry is a mainstay of our national economy and represents one of the largest agri-food industries in the country,” said Wally Smith, president of DFC. “We take great pride in our industry’s economic contribution – creating jobs, increasing milk production, diversifying dairy products and stimulating local economies. All of these elements benefit Canadians and Canada.”
Key findings of the study include:
- In 2015, the Canadian dairy industry contributed $3.8 billion in local, provincial and federal taxes.
- The sector’s contribution to Canada’s gross domestic product (GDP) has increased from $15.2 billion in 2009 to $19.9 billion in 2015.
- In 2015, the sector sustained approximately 221,000 full-time equivalent jobs – an increase of approximately 3 percent since 2009. The mix of jobs has also changed, with the number of jobs at the farm level decreasing and the number of jobs at the value-added processing level increasing.
- Canada’s overall milk production increased 6.71 percent between 2009 and 2015.
The economic activity related to milk production and processing into a wide array of dairy products is spread across every province. While Ontario and Quebec have the bulk of milk production, processing and population of Canada, dairy farming remains one of the top two agricultural sectors in importance in seven out of 10 provinces.
The dairy industry is active in all Canadian provinces and is a mainstay of the economy in several regions, providing local products to Canadians. The study focused on national numbers, but also analyzed the economic impact further down in the Atlantic provinces, Quebec, Ontario and western Canada.
To read the full report, visit the DFC website. 
—From Dairy Farmers of Canada news release
