Dairy industry

The BC Dairy Industry is made up of 435 dairy cow herds, 3 water buffalo herds, and 6 small flock herds (sheep and goats).

British Columbia ranks among the top provinces in Canada for the highest provincial herd, milk quality and average milk production for dairy cows according to annual national summaries and milk quality statistics.

Most B.C. dairy herds are located in the Lower Mainland, southeastern Vancouver Island, and the north Okanagan-Shuswap area.

Production

British Columbia’s average dairy cow herd size is approximately 180 cows. Approximately half of milk production is utilized for fluid milk sales, while the other half is allocated to non-fluid industrial dairy product sales.

Best practices and useful resources for the dairy industry have been compiled into this helpful guide: dairy farm practices (PDF, 290KB)

Learn how to start a new farm, prepare a business plan, or access funding for your agricultural business with farm business management and other reference guides.

Dairy cooling factsheets 

Heat stress can have a significant impact on dairy cattle health, comfort, and productivity. Effective cooling strategies help cows maintain normal body temperature, supporting milk production, reproduction, and overall well-being. These factsheets are designed to help producers make informed decisions that reduce heat stress in their dairy cattle.

• Strategies to Reduce Heat Stress in Dairy Cows Factsheet (PDF, 1.4 MB)
• Ventilation Assessment (PDF,927 KB)
• Convective Cooling to Reduce Heat Stress (PDF, 468 KB)
• Evaporative Cooling to Reduce Heat Stress (PDF, 385 KB)

Food safety

In 2013, it became mandatory that every licensed dairy be certified under the Canadian Quality Milk on-farm food safety program developed by Dairy Farmers of Canada. In 2017, the CQM program evolved into proAction. Under proAction, farmers demonstrate excellence in six distinct areas: milk quality, food safety, animal care, livestock traceability, biosecurity, and environment.

Good milking practices are essential to eliminating pathogens that may contaminate milk and proliferate during storage on-farm. Licensed BC dairy producers are dedicated to ensuring that milk produced on their farms is high quality and safe for human consumption.

Regulations and licensing

Federal regulations

The Food and Drug Act of Canada states that all milk from all species must be pasteurized for sale for human consumption, and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has a mandate to ensure a safe food supply for everyone in Canada. Other local, provincial and federal legislation and regulations also apply.

Provincial regulations and licensing

Dairy farms are inspected and licensed under the Milk Industry Act and the Milk Industry Standards Regulation. Dairy farmers are required to provide:

• Facilities that ensure safe and clean milk production and handling
• Adequate animal housing and waste handling facilities

The Government of B.C. oversees farm inspection and licensing, raw milk handling and milk testing, and is responsible for dairy plant and final product evaluation.

• Milk Industry Standards Regulation
• Learn more about licensing

For more information about farm standards and licenses, contact the Office of the Chief Veterinarian:

Facilities and equipment

Milking equipment installation and testing

Milking equipment installation must be in compliance with the British Columbia standards for the design, fabrication and installation of milk handling equipment.

These requirements must be completed by a dairy service provider: 

• Milking equipment and bulk tank wash analysis
• Static and dynamic milking equipment testing

Submit completed diagnostic reports performed by your dairy service provider to a dairy inspector.

Dairy equipment installations and upgrades on licensed dairy farms need to be reported to the Ministry of Agriculture using the following form:

• Dairy Equipment Installation Submission Form (PDF)

Alternatively, the form can be accessed online with a BC Business eID