Canadian cattle ranchers are in position to increase their herds for the first time in ten years on signs of increased demand from China and Japan. In July Canada had 13.5 million head of cattle on its ranches – up 0.1% from a year earlier and posting the first year over year increase in numbers since 2005. And according to Canada Beef Inc. between January and June 2013 Canada shipped a record 10,088 metric tons of beef to China – almost three times the exports for all of 2012. Given the lag time between herd expansion and increased supply, production will probably not increase until 2015 or 2016.
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