Buffalo in Canada

CANADA TERRITORY

Canada, located in North America, has an area of 9,984,670 km2, making it the second-largest country in the world. It has a population of 41,651,653 people and maintains a very low population density of 4 in habitants per km². Its capital is Ottawa (1).

Canada has 10 provinces and 3 territories: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, the Northwest Territories, and Yukon.

The largest city in Canada is Toronto, Ontario; followed by Vancouver, British Columbia; Montreal, Quebec; and Calgary, Alberta. (2) (Figure 1) Canada, due to its extension, enjoys varied climates (3). Northern Canada is extremely cold, with summers lasting less than two months, but almost all Canadians live near the country's southern border, where the weather is warmer.

The Vancouver area, on Canada's west coast, has a rainy and temperate climate. It rarely snows, except in the mountains. Summer temperatures peak at around 22°C, and winter temperatures peak is around 7°C. In Vancouver, it rains almost half the days in winter, but it's much sunnier in summer.

Near Toronto, the climate is continental: winters are cold and snowy, while summers are hot and humid. Maximum temperatures hover around 26°C in sum mer and 0°C in winter. On average, it rains seven days a month throughout the year.

Figure 1. Map of Canada (Photo https://es.vecteezy.com/arte-vecto rial/21613541-detallado-canada-mapa-estados-y-union-territorios).

It is important to note that climatic conditions dictate that forage resources remain covered by snow for 5 to 6 months a year, so producers cannot rely on grazing feed for almost half the year.

Canadian livestock farming currently ranks fifth among countries exporting the largest volumes of meat worldwide.

In the world beef cattle inventory, it ranks eleventh with 12,3 million heads.

According to the latest figures, there are 95,000 pro ducers involved in livestock production, the vast ma jority of whom are family-run and almost permanently based on farms.

Approximately 66,5 thousand are dedicated almost exclusively to cattle breeding, with weaned male calves as the marketed products. The breeding herd consists of approximately 4,3 million breeding cows, primarily of British Angus, Hereford, Shorthorn, and Limousin breeds. (4)

BUFFALO IN CANADA

The water buffalo arrived in Canada by ship in 1999 from Europe, imported by the Archer family to Vancouver, a city on the Pacific coast of the country, located in the southwest of the province of British Columbia.

After a couple of years, and due to the incidence of certain diseases in the Old Continent, the Canadian government decided to cull all the buffalo and other animals that had arrived from Europe in previous years, with the Archer family being the most affected. Of the imported buffalo herd, health authorities only left the animals born in Canada alive.

The original imported breed was the Murrah, and later, crossbreeding was carried out with imported Mediterranean breeds. The animals were used for milk production, which was entirely marketed. After a few years, operations ceased, and the buffalo were moved to another farm located in the province of Quebec, east of Montreal. The current buffalo population in Canada is estimated at 3,000 heads.

Figure 2. Farm Elevages Buffaloes Maciocia (Photo: Elevages Buffalo Maciocia).

Buffalo in the provinces of Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia

Currently, in these provinces, there are high-production dairy and meat farms (5), which are described below.

Elevages Buffalo Maciocia Farm

Located in the province of Quebec, it covers an area of 17 hectares and has 500 buffaloes of Mediterranean, Murrah, Buffalypso, and crossbred breeds (Figure 2). The animals are fed hay, straw, brewery waste, corn silage, minerals, and soybean meals. They produce 1,845 liters of milk per day from 202 milking buffaloes. The farm produces dairy products such as Mozzarella cheese (Figure 3), yogurt (Figure 4), and ricotta. They also produce buffalo meat. All products are sold in local markets and in the Italian, Pakistani, Greek, and Hindu communities (6).

Figure 3. Mozzarella Maciocia. (Photo: Elevages Buffalo Maciocia).

Figure 4. Maciocia Yogurt. (Photo: Elevages Buffalo Maciocia).

Koskamp Family Farm

It is located in the south of the province of Ontario (7). It is a family farm founded in 1974. They raise buffaloes that are milked using a rotary milking system (Figure 5). They produce and market fresh buffalo milk (Figure 6) and Cheddar and Gouda cheeses (Figure 7). They also produce a wide variety of buffalo meat products (Figure 8).

Figure 5. Milking buffaloes using a rotary system. (Photo: Ele vages Koskamp Family Farm).

Figure 6. Fresh buffalo milk. (Photo: Elevages Koskamp Family Farm)

Figure 7. Cheddar and Gouda cheeses. (Photo: Elevages Ko skamp Family Farm).

Figure 8. Buffalo meat products. (Photo: Elevages Koskamp Family Farm).

Peak & Pasture Ranch Farm

The farm, located in Alberta (8), was owned by Amanda Beijer's family for two generations before the couple took it over and converted it into a water buffalo dairy operation (Figure 9). Theo Beijer's previous experience managing A2 hybrid milk and dairy products for his family was instrumental in this new farm.

Now, Theo and Amanda Beijer have established re generative agriculture practices that include methods such as rotational grazing to improve soil health and biodiversity, while eliminating the need for chemicals and pesticides. These practices also make the land

Figure 9. Bufaloes Farm Peak & Pasture Ranch. (Photo: Peak & Pasture Ranch Farm).

more resilient to unstable weather conditions. Food products from regenerative farms are proving to have much higher nutritional value, meaning that regenerative agriculture has the potential to become a valuable and sustainable practice. The Beijer family has converted their traditional dairy farm into a water buffalo dairy operation with offerings that include not only milk (Figure 10), but also meat and several different types of cheeses (Figures 11 and 12).

Figure 10. Fresh buffalo milk. (Photo: Peak & Pasture Ranch Farm).

Figure 11. Paneer cheese. (Photo: Peak & Pasture Ranch Farm).

Figure 12. Cheddar cheese. (Photo: Peak & Pasture Ranch Farm).

Figure 13. Fairburn Farm Buffalo. (Photo: Fairburn Farm).

Fairburn Farm

Located in British Columbia (9). In 2000, Darrel and Anthea Fairburn imported the first water buffalo to Canada. They sold this beautiful farm in December 2017 to retire in the Cowichan Valley. They pioneered the first arrival of water buffalo in Canada. (Figure 13).

Tesfa Farms

Brad Bennik and Christy Bennik are the proud owners of a small herd of water buffalo in Langley, British Co lumbia. The Benniks have been developing their herd to produce enough milk for market.

Figure 14. Buffaloes at Tesfa Farm. (Photo: Tesfa Farms).

The farm focuses on sustainable agriculture and sells its products at farmers' markets and retail stores. Their name, "Tesfa," means "hope" in Amharic, and they chose this name because they seek to offer "honest food" and "holistic" practices.

Their products can be found at farmers' markets, such as the one in Langley, and in retail stores such as Life style Markets (Figure 14).

Coleman Meadows Farm

The Dyson family (Jennifer, Melanie, and Edward) are f irst- and second-generation farmers and are the proud owners and operators of Coleman Meadows Farm, a seasonal, grass-fed water buffalo dairy farm in Port Alberni, Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

The family's love and passion for raising buffalo is re f lected in everything they do. Their love of land and animals translates into exceptionally ethical animal care, sustainable farming practices, and a commitment to producing only the highest quality water buffalo milk and meat. The family sells water buffalo dairy products, as well as their own natural, hormone- and antibiotic-free grass-fed water buffalo meat, at their farm market (Figure 15). They produce buffalo meat and dairy products such as yogurt and cheeses.

Figure 15. Buffaloes at Coleman Meadows Farm. (Photo: Cole man Meadows Farms).

McClintock Farm

Founded in 1988, water buffalo (Figure 16) became an important part of the family farm after the purchase of 15 young females from Fairburn Farm. The milking parlor was completed overnight in early March 2012, and the first buffalo calf was born the following day. Producer Sandra McClintock and her parents, Val and Gerry McClintock, embody what comes with work ing together. The farm is introducing new products: award-winning yogurt (processed from natural pas tures) and ice cream. These products are available on the farm, at select retail locations, and at the Comox Valley Farmers Market.

McClintock Farm Buffalo is located in the city of Surrey, in the province of British Columbia, in a peaceful set ting near picturesque nature trails and lush wetlands. This academy (10) has a 43-hectare water buffalo farm where its students receive job and professional training in buffalo handling. The farm has more than 350 water buffalo(Figure 17). They have a dairy where they milk their buffalo using a robotic system. They raise their buffalo humanely and ethically to produce a delicious variety of meat, cheese, and dairy products that are sold at their Farmers Market. They produce fluid milk, yogurt, and cheeses such as Mozzarella, Gouda, Blue, Feta, and Brie.

Figure 16. Buffaloes McClintock Farm. (Photo: McClintock Farms).

Figure 17. Buffaloes McClintock Farm. (Photo: McClintock Farm Buffalo).

It is essential to emphasize a prevailing belief among buffalo producers in Canada: "Less sunlight equals less cheese." As October approaches, the reduction in daylight hours is noticeable, which coincides with a period during which water buffaloes exhibit increased fertility. This natural heat cycle facilitates breeding, making it an optimal time for buffalo to conceive. However, as cold weather sets in, there is a decline in cheese consumption among humans, resulting in a downturn in the cheese market. Producers anticipate warmer months when outdoor gatherings, such as family picnics and business events, are more common, thereby increasing the demand for cheese.

The reproductive preferences of water buffaloes align with shorter days characterized by reduced natural light. In contrast, during months with extended daylight— sometimes reaching 14 to 15 hours—water buffaloes do not thrive. Therefore, farmers must synchronize breeding cycles from March to August. To achieve this, they often employ Timed Artificial Insemination (TAI) techniques, aiming to achieve pregnancies before Au gust, resulting in calving from February to June of the following year. This strategic timing enables producers to secure sufficient milk during warmer months when cheese consumption peaks.

From October to February, all buffaloes are separated from breeding bulls, and no artificial insemination protocols are implemented to prevent calving during the colder months, which typically see reduced cheese demand. Interestingly, while cheese consumption wanes, yogurt becomes more prevalent in human diets.

CONCLUSIONS

The total number of buffalo in Canada is estimated at 3,000 heads. Their unique longevity, diet, and milk and meat characteristics predict a promising future for a steady growth in the coming years in this country.

Buffalo in Canada

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