Toronto – October 8, 2020 – With the Thanksgiving holiday approaching, turkey season is now upon us, and newly released industry data reveals that Canadians love to eat turkey, especially around this time of year.

Consumption statistics from the Turkey Farmers of Canada, the national voice of Canadian turkey farmers, show that 2.5 million whole turkeys were purchased by Canadians during the 2019 Thanksgiving holiday, equal to 39 percent of all turkeys that were sold last year.

But the fact is, Canadians enjoy eating turkey year-round, as over 6.3 million whole turkeys were sold across the country in 2019. Below is a brief breakdown of turkey consumption in Canada, as we head into this year’s turkey-eating season:

• Canadians consumed 144.3 million kg (Mkg) of turkey in 2019.
• Per capita turkey consumption in 2019 was 3.8 kg.
• An estimated 51.3 Mkg of turkey and turkey products were purchased by Canadians in retail stores in 2019 (excluding deli products).
• Of that 51.3 Mkg, 40.0 Mkg of whole turkeys were purchased.
• Annual sales of turkey parts and processed turkey products in Canadian supermarkets increased from 8.8 Mkg in 1993, to 11.3 Mkg in 2019 (excluding deli products).
• Over the Christmas holiday in 2019, 2.7 million whole turkeys were purchased by Canadians, equal to 42 percent of all whole turkeys that were sold over the year.

From coast to coast, UFCW Canada members proudly make a wide range of delicious turkey products, at companies like Exceldor, Flamingo, Granny’s, Lilydale, Olymel, Maple Leaf, Sofina, and Spécialités Prodal, among others.

To learn more about the amazing turkey products made by UFCW members throughout the country, and other UFCW-made food, visit our Great Canadian Food Products page.

Source: “Canada’s turkey industry: By the numbers.” Turkey Farmers of Canada. September 2020. Online: https://bit.ly/2FajSPH.