Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC), Canada, released an update to a study highlighting the important economic impact of the dairy sector in Canada. The study, "Update on the Economic Impacts of the Dairy Industry in 2015," conducted by EcoRessources, Canada, is the fourth  update tracking the economic impact of the sector, which since 2009, has been conducted every two years.

"The Canadian dairy industry is a key driver of our national economy, and represents one of the largest agri-food industries in the country," says Wally Smith, president. "We take great pride in our industry's economic contribution—creating jobs, increasing milk production, diversifying dairy products and stimulating local economies. All of these elements benefit Canadians and Canada."

Key findings of the study include:

• In 2015, the Canadian dairy industry contributed $3.8 billion in local, provincial and federal taxes.
• The sector's contribution to Canada's gross domestic product (GDP) has increased from $15.2 billion in 2009 to $19.9 billion in 2015.
• In 2015, the sector sustained approximately 221,000 full-time equivalent jobs, an increase of approximately 3% since 2009. The types of jobs have also changed, with the number of jobs at the farm level decreasing and the number of jobs at the value-added processing level increasing.
• Canada's overall milk production increased 6.71% between 2009-2015.

The economic activity related to milk production and processing is spread across every province. While Ontario and Quebec have the bulk of milk production, processing and population of Canada, dairy farming remains one of the Top 2 agricultural sectors of importance in seven out of 10 provinces.

The study focused on national numbers, but also analyzed the economic impact in further detail in the Atlantic Provinces, Quebec, Ontario and Western Canada.