We’re into summer, and no doubt you’ve had some fresh, Canadian-grown lettuce in a salad, in a sandwich, on a burger or as part of some other dish.
And if you’re wondering exactly how much lettuce is produced in Canada, you’ve come to the right place—Romaine (and iceberg, green leaf and others) is our domain!
Heads up in the fields
Nationwide in 2022, the total marketed production of fresh lettuce increased to 82,426 tonnes, up from 75,578 tonnes in 2021 but down from the all-time high of 91,463 tonnes produced in 2016.
In 2022, there were 9,543 acres of fresh lettuce planted, up from 8,451 in 2021 and down from the high mark of 13,550 acres planted in 2009.
Over 90% of fresh lettuce produced in 2022 came from Quebec, where 87% of the acreage was.
More leaf-ing the greenhouses
Over 19.6 million kilograms of fresh lettuce were produced in Canada’s greenhouses in 2022, up from 19.2 million kilograms in 2021 and more than two and half times (+278.1%) the 7.0 million kilograms produced in 2018.
In fact, fresh lettuce production has risen at a faster rate from 2018 to 2022 compared with fresh cucumbers (+19.1%), peppers (+12.8%) and tomatoes (+5.2%).
Greenhouses in Quebec produced two-fifths (40.0%) of indoor lettuce in 2022, with Alberta (37.8%) near the tip of the iceberg. Ontario’s lettuce production contributed 15.6%, while British Columbia’s production stood at 6.2%.
Record prices
If the price of lettuce last winter had you feeling green, you’re not alone. Prices for lettuce (including imports) purchased from stores in Canada increased to record price levels in December 2022, to the tune of roughly one-third higher (+32.8%) than December 2021.
More recently, prices increased by 6.0% in June 2023 compared with June 2022.
Phew, we can now love our Romaine hearts a bit more. Enjoy this nutritious staple and have a great summer, Canada!
Contact information
For more information, contact the Statistical Information Service (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).