EDMONTON (CP) -- There are now more hogs than humans on the Prairies where the booming livestock industry has been growing faster than anywhere in the country. Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta had 5.68 million hogs between them in May 2001, according to census data released Wednesday by Statistics Canada. Population figures from the same census showed just over five million people. The increase was most dramatic in the two easternmost provinces. Manitoba's hog population grew by 42.9 per cent since the last census in 1996, while Saskatchewan's surpassed even that with 47 per cent growth. Alberta's hog growth was a relatively modest 17 per cent. But the province made up for it with Canada's largest growth in cattle. The Alberta herd grew 11 per cent over the five years to 6.6 million -- nearly half of all the cattle in Canada. The cattle industry continues to centre in the West. About 86 per cent of all Canadian cattle are on the Prairies, a slight increase since 1996. The Statistics Canada data confirms a decade-old trend in western farming, said Reynold Jaipaul of Alberta Agriculture. "We've got many advantages," he said. "We've got a land base. We've got relatively cheap grain. We've got processing plants which are world-class. We're close to the U.S. market. "That's what's driving that kind of activity." Bob Prather, also of Alberta Agriculture, said livestock now accounts for 60 per cent of farm receipts and crops for 40 per cent. It used to be the other way around. The switch began about a decade ago when three factors came together, he said. The livestock boom is driven by exports. The 1988 Free Trade Agreement with the United States eased the way for exports of all kinds. Low grain prices forced farmers to look for ways to increase the value of their crops, such as feeding it to animals. And at the same time, the end of the Crow rate shipping subsidy for grain made it more cost-effective to use the grain closer to where it was produced. "The grain was worth more in livestock feeding than it was in the world market," said Prather. Hogs and cattle are now at record levels across the country, with a 4.4 per cent increase in cattle and a 26.4 per cent jump in hogs. Although the industry is growing fastest in the West, Ontario and Quebec are still Canada's largest hog producers. The livestock boom has also spread to non-traditional animals. The number of sheep and lambs in Alberta increased 18.3 per cent since 1996, making the province second only to Ontario. In Saskatchewan, bison numbers quintupled to nearly 35,000 animals. Most of the increase in livestock numbers was driven by a healthy export market, Statistics Canada's data suggests. Beef exports grew by more than half since 1996, with shipments to the United States, Asia, Mexico and Argentina showing particularly strong growth. Canadian beef producers also enjoy a reputation for quality and benefit from the loonie's low level relative to the U.S. dollar. The growth in livestock is also affecting the look of the Prairies. About 30 per cent more is being used for feed crops such as hay or alfalfa. Improved pasture, which is rangeland that has been fertilized or seeded to improve grazing for cattle, has also increased 16.5 per cent. On other fronts, Prairie agriculture followed many of the same trends Statistics Canada found throughout the country. Farms are getting fewer and larger. The largest decline was in Manitoba, which lost about 13 per cent of its farms over the last four years. The average loss nationwide was 10.7 per cent. On average, Saskatchewan has the largest farms in the country. The average farm in the province was 513 hectares (1,283 acres), about 40 hectares larger than 1996. Gross farm receipts for the Prairies totalled $19.3 billion, up from $16.5 billion in 1996. Nearly all of that increase was accounted for by the $2-billion gain recorded in Alberta.:
