It’s rib season! Whether you go to a festival, a country fair, a local restaurant or anywhere in between, there’s nothing like a rack of pork ribs, especially when they’re made tender enough to fall off the bone.
And for those of you who like to make them with your own secret sauce and recipe at home (you don’t have to tell us, just invite us for dinner), you’re in luck—pork rib cuts are typically among the cheapest of all the red meat categories.
In May 2024, the average nationwide retail price for pork rib cuts (a category that includes boxed and frozen products) was $8.84 per kilogram, far cheaper than the average price of beef rib cuts ($29.02). In May 2024, the average Canada-wide price of pork rib cuts returned to close to pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels, whereas similar beef cuts did not.
Through the pandemic, the per-kilogram price of beef rib cuts averaged approximately $15 higher than pork ribs, but in May 2024, the difference was $20.18. Even ground beef, a commonly purchased beef product, was $3.71 higher than pork rib cuts.
By province, Saskatchewan ($8.60) had the best price for pork rib cuts in May, while the price in Nova Scotia ($9.35) was the highest. Since we started tracking average prices of pork rib cuts in 2017, the lowest price on record was in March of that year in Prince Edward Island ($5.28).
Hog prices up, and annual availability continues increasing
Monthly slaughter hog prices received by farmers increased across Canada in May 2024, marking at least four consecutive month-over-month price increases across all provinces. Compared with May 2023, hog prices were at least 15.1% higher in all provinces.
Conversely, hog prices declined in at least five provinces in every month from September 2023 to January 2024. Through the fall and winter months, hog prices benefitted from price competitiveness compared with other meats, as food inflation incentivized customers towards less expensive options.
Our annual food availability series measures the amount of food available for consumption in Canada—and there’s more pork available. In 2023, there were 17.38 kilograms of pork (retail weight) available per person, the fourth consecutive annual increase and the largest amount since 2015 (17.65 kilograms).
Food Day Canada
Whether it’s ribs or anything else on the menu, there’s a special day for Canadian foodies to celebrate this coming weekend.
August 3 is Food Day Canada, which engages and inspires everyone to shop, cook and dine Canadian. The day was originally created as the “World’s Longest Barbecue” by longtime Canadian food advocate Anita Stewart, her family and a number of pioneering supporters to show support for Canada’s beef ranchers and farmers.
Stewart, who passed away in 2020, became a member of the Order of Canada in 2012. In 2023, Parliament officially recognized Food Day Canada in its 20th year.
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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).