Gitnux/Report 2026

Bison Industry Statistics

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Bison Industry Statistics
Samuel NorbergWritten by Samuel Norberg·Fact-checked by Maya Johansson
Published
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

An editor sets the topic, the inclusion criteria, and the evaluation framework before research starts.

02Source Research

AI search agents locate sources and extract each figure together with the document it came from.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 31 days

01 Industry overview

The bison industry at a glance

The U.S. bison industry remains a small, supply-constrained protein niche: about 80,000 animals were slaughtered under federal inspection in 2024, against 192,477 bison on private farms and ranches in 2022.

$393.4M[33]
U.S. bison meat market, 2024
6.5%[33]
Forecast CAGR, 2022–2030
192,477[53]
Farm and ranch inventory, 2022
80,000[16]
U.S. federally inspected slaughter, 2024
Market size
The U.S. bison meat market was estimated at $393.4 million in 2024 in a University of Wisconsin–Whitewater feasibility study. The study covers retail and foodservice distribution channels and projects continued expansion through 2030.[33]
Forecast & CAGR
The same market model forecasts a 6.5% compound annual growth rate from 2022 to 2030, reaching approximately $587.3 million by 2030. Offline retail accounted for 72.6% of the modeled market in 2022 and was expected to remain the largest channel.[33]
Market share & regions
The 2022 USDA Census counted 192,477 bison on 1,986 U.S. farms. Montana reported 20,466 head, North Dakota 12,487, and Colorado 9,555, indicating a concentration of commercial herds in the Northern Plains and Mountain West.[53][54]
Segmentation
Bison meat is commonly segmented into ground meat, whole cuts and steaks, with retail stores and foodservice as the main distribution channels. The available U.S. market model further divides offline retail into supermarkets or hypermarkets, specialty stores and other outlets; offline retail represented 72.6% of the modeled market.[33]
Key players & concentration
The industry is fragmented across nearly 2,000 private farms and ranches rather than dominated by a few large producers. Supply is nevertheless concentrated in a relatively small number of processing facilities: a peer-reviewed benchmarking study evaluated 2,284 animals across three U.S. bison processing facilities.[53][37]
Pricing
USDA’s October 2026 monthly bison report recorded grain-fed young-bull carcasses at a weighted average of $544.33 per hundredweight and young heifers at $525.36 per hundredweight. The report also showed 2,374 grain-fed carcasses in the reporting period, illustrating the market’s limited trading volume.[38]
Trends, drivers & challenges
Demand growth is being supported by interest in lean red meat, value-added products and conservation-oriented grazing. The main constraint is supply: the National Bison Association described 2024 market-ready animal availability as exceptionally tight, while USDA data show only 192,477 bison on private U.S. farms and ranches in 2022.[55][16]
Consumer behavior & competition
Bison competes directly with beef for red-meat occasions but remains a niche product: approximately 80,000 bison were slaughtered under federal inspection in the U.S. in 2024, compared with about 35 million cattle. The small supply base and premium positioning support higher prices, while limited availability can restrict repeat retail purchasing.[16][38]
Regulation
Commercial bison meat is subject to USDA inspection, while animal movement is regulated through federal and state animal-health requirements. APHIS identifies brucellosis as a disease affecting cattle and bison; interstate movement requirements can include certificates, testing and state-specific restrictions, and infected herds may be quarantined with movement limited to slaughter.[56]
Latest news
The latest USDA monthly report available in the search results, covering October 2026, reported year-to-date federally inspected slaughter of 42,039 head and year-to-date Canadian live imports of 3,575 feeder bison under 400 pounds, 2,754 feeder bison over 400 pounds, 3,530 slaughter bulls and 3,184 slaughter heifers.[38]

02 Ranking

Top 6 Companies in the Bison Industry

The leading companies in the bison industry, ranked on market impact, performance, momentum, innovation and brand popularity.

Updated November 10, 2026 · Next review December 10, 2026

Verdict

Turner Enterprises leads Gitnux's 2026 bison ranking with an Overall score of 9.6, with largest and progressive bison operation, per Turner Ranches description. Durham Meat & Seafood is the runner-up at 9.0, driven by 55,000 acres in Wyoming for the Durham Ranch operation.

Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓

Editor's top 3 picks

Where to start, by need.

  1. #1 Overall · Leader in bison ranching & branded meat

    Turner Enterprises

    US

    Ranked #1 · 9.6 · Bison ranching & branded meat

    Why we picked it: Operators point to its scale of bison ranching as the basis for branded supply.

    See in ranking ↓Visit tedturner.com ↗

  2. Leader in bison processing & export

    Canadian Rangeland Bison and Elk

    CA

    Ranked #4 · 8.4 · Bison processing & export

    Why we picked it: It processes Canadian bison for both domestic sales and cross-border export markets.

    See in ranking ↓Visit rangelandbison.ca ↗

  3. Leader in wholesale & direct meat distribution

    Blackwing

    US

    Ranked #5 · 7.7 · Wholesale & direct meat distribution

    Why we picked it: It covers wholesale and direct-to-consumer channels with a long operating history.

    See in ranking ↓Visit blackwing.com ↗

Pick 1 is the #1 company overall. Picks 2 and 3 are the highest-ranked companies in the top 5 that add a new segment.

Full ranking

Sort by
Top 6 companies in the bison industry, 2026 – Gitnux ranking
#CompanyOverall ↓Company snapshot
1

Turner Enterprises

Bison ranching & branded meat · US

9.6
2

Durham Meat & Seafood

Bison ranching & branded meat · US

9.0
3

Rocky Mountain Natural Meats

Bison ranching & branded meat · US

8.4
4

Canadian Rangeland Bison and Elk

Bison processing & export · CA

8.4
5

Blackwing

Wholesale & direct meat distribution · US

7.7
6

Sayersbrook Bison Ranch

Integrated bison ranching and direct meat sales · US

7.0

How we score

  • Impact (30%): scale and weight in the market (revenue, market share, employees, market position).
  • Performance (20%): recent revenue growth and operating margin; an analyst assessment where a company does not publish them.
  • Momentum (20%): growth trajectory and future potential.
  • Innovation (15%): R&D intensity and how technologically advanced the company is.

Popularity (brand search demand, 15%) counts toward Overall but is not published as a column. Overall leaves out what is not known.

Scale Scores are shown on a 7–10 scale with one decimal; bars start at 7.0.

Cadence Recalculated when new figures are published; next review December 10, 2026.

Independence. Rankings are editorially independent. Scores, ranks, picks and the verdict follow the method above; no company can pay to change them.

Cite this ranking

APA

Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 11). Top 6 companies in the bison industry. In Bison Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/bison-industry-statistics/#top-companies

report visual · Projection

Bison slaughter in federally and provincially inspected establishments (Canada)

Bison slaughter in federally and provincially inspected establishments grew from 7,860 head in 2020 to 15K head in 2025.

7,860 head
Start
+14.33%
CAGR · 5y
15.4K head
Projected
20202025
source-verifiedagriculture.canada.ca2025

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

The data show high variability in agri-food digitization: 61% of U.S. farmers reported adopting digital agronomy technologies in 2024, while only 5.0% of German farms used AI or big-data in 2024–2025.

Digital Transformation in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among EU food-manufacturing enterprises, 15.4% had high digital intensity in 2023, compared with 13.0% in 2021.[1]
  • Across the EU agri-food industrial ecosystem, 20% of companies had a concrete digital-transformation strategy in 2024.[1]
  • Among EU food-manufacturing enterprises, 3.4% had very high digital intensity in 2023, compared with 2.1% in 2021.[1]
  • In the United States, 61% of farmers reported adopting digital agronomy technologies in 2024.[2]
  • Among EU food-manufacturing enterprises, 51.2% had very low digital intensity in 2023, down from 55.1% in 2021.[1]

Technology Adoption in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • In Germany, 85.5% of surveyed farms used at least one digital technology in 2024–2025.[3]
  • In Chile, 12% of agricultural production units reported using a technological tool such as mobile applications, drones, or sensors in 2021.[3]
  • In Czechia, 30% of crop-production farmers used at least one precision-agriculture technology in 2023.[3]
  • Across EU farms with utilised agricultural area, about 18% used some form of precision-farming technology or practice in 2023.[3]
  • Across EU farms, 43% had internet access, 11% used farm-management information systems, and 7% used robotics in 2023.[3]
  • In Canada, 84% of field-crop operations used GPS equipment in 2021.[3]

Cloud Computing in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 26% used cloud computing in 2023.[1]
  • Across EU businesses, 45% purchased cloud-computing services in 2023.[4]
  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 37% used cloud computing in 2024, up from 26% in 2023.[1]
  • Among EU large businesses, 78% purchased cloud-computing services in 2023, compared with 44% of SMEs.[4]

Big Data in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • In Germany, 5.0% of surveyed farms used artificial-intelligence or big-data technologies in 2024–2025.[3]
  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 17% used big-data technologies in 2023.[1]
  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 307 startups focused on artificial intelligence and big data were formed between 2015 and 2023.[1]
  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 13% used big-data technologies in 2024, compared with 17% in 2023.[1]

IoT in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across EU farms with livestock, about 11% used animal-welfare or health-monitoring systems in 2023.[3]
  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 24% used Internet of Things technologies in 2024, up from 10% in 2023.[1]
  • Among agri-food companies investing more than 30% of annual turnover in digital technologies, 5.41% prioritised Internet of Things technologies in 2024.[1]
  • Across EU agri-food businesses, 10% used Internet of Things technologies in 2023.[1]

Innovation in the bison industry

  • 132 bison managers participated in a national survey examining management values, attitudes and practices across U.S. regions and grassland types.[5]
  • 38% of surveyed U.S. bison-industry stakeholders identified production cost as an attribute that would benefit from industry improvement or further study.[6]
  • 110 U.S. bison-industry stakeholders completed a benchmarking survey covering production parameters, welfare and meat-quality factors.[6]
  • 179 bison-industry stakeholders from at least 33 U.S. states responded to a 2020 information-needs assessment used to design the NAHMS Bison 2022 study.[7]
  • 79 bison producers from 14 U.S. states completed a survey of parasite-control management practices, including 30 respondents from Texas.[8]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

The analytics section flags data-quality and governance gaps: 49% of manufacturing respondents rated operational data as low AI readiness in 2024, and only 42% reported a process to verify operational data accuracy or quality in 2025.

Data Quality in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • 44% of manufacturers reported that AI projects had failed because of poor data quality in 2025, according to a survey of manufacturing organizations.[9]
  • 49% of manufacturing respondents rated their operational data as having low AI readiness in 2024, meaning it was insufficiently labeled, contextualized, governed or accessible.[10]
  • 30% of manufacturing respondents identified poor-quality data as one of their top three challenges when working with AI-related data in 2024.[10]
  • 41% of manufacturers said they distrusted the data used for supply-chain operations in 2025, reflecting persistent data-quality concerns in production and procurement.[9]
  • 42% of manufacturers reported having a process to verify operational data accuracy or quality in 2025, indicating that most lacked a formal validation process.[10]

Data Governance in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • 61% of manufacturers reported having a corporate-wide governance plan, strategy or formal guidelines for how data is collected, organized, accessed and used in 2024.[10]
  • 6% of food and beverage leaders reported fully integrated digital systems in 2025, despite 82% saying technology adoption was a strategic priority.[11]
  • 40% of food and beverage professionals worldwide identified disconnected systems and data as their biggest barrier to moving faster in 2026.[11]
  • 69% of food and beverage companies still relied on spreadsheets and email for core operations in 2025, limiting standardized access and control of business data.[11]
  • 15% of manufacturers said their data strategy was entirely aligned with their overall business strategy in 2024, while 31% said it was very closely aligned.[10]
  • 61% of supply-management organizations reported having a dedicated data-governance function in 2024, while 90% agreed that data governance was necessary.[12]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

The herd-management trend points to gradual inventory growth, with Canada’s herd rising from 7,006 head in 1996 to 40,418 in 2016, and U.S. dressing percentage averaging 60.5% in a bison study.

Growth in the bison industry

  • Manitoba had 20,000 bison on farms in 2006, compared with approximately 12,000 in 2021.[13]
  • Saskatchewan’s share of Canada’s bison herd increased from 15.5% in 1996 to 33.9% in 2016.[14]
  • Canada had 149,539 bison on 989 farms in 2021.[15]
  • 82% of Canada’s farmed bison herd was located in Saskatchewan and Alberta in 2021.[15]
  • Manitoba had 166 bison farms in 2006, compared with 82 farms in 2021.[13]
  • The Saskatchewan bison herd grew from 7,006 head in 1996 to 40,418 head in 2016.[14]

Differentiation in the bison industry

  • 60.5% was the average dressing percentage in a U.S. bison meat industry study.[6]
  • 3.3 percentage points was the standard deviation of dressing percentage in the U.S. bison meat industry study.[6]

Strategic partnerships in the bison industry

  • 3 partner organizations administer the U.S. Bison Production and Marketing Grant Program: Flower Hill Institute, the National Bison Association and Mad Agriculture.[16]
  • 2 national bison associations—the NBA and CBA—jointly responded to proposed U.S.-Canada tariffs in February 2025.[14]
  • 46 organizations were member partners in the National Bison Association Growth Fund in 2025.[16]
  • 3,000 tonnes is the tariff-free Canadian bison quota for the European Union under CETA, supporting cross-border market development.[13]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

Work experience is concentrated: 60% of surveyed U.S. bison stakeholders had worked in the industry for more than 10 years, and 46.8% of bison producers reported more than 10 years managing bison.

Hiring in the bison industry

  • 30–35 employees worked at Smucker’s Meats, a processor handling about 3,000 beef and bison animals annually, in the USDA case study.[17]
  • 989 active private bison producers were recorded in Canada in the 2021 Census of Agriculture.[18]
  • 1,986 active private bison producers were recorded in the United States in the 2022 Census of Agriculture.[18]

Employee retention in the bison industry

  • 60% of surveyed U.S. bison-industry stakeholders had worked in the bison industry for more than 10 years.[6]
  • 46.8% of surveyed bison producers reported more than 10 years of experience managing bison.[8]

Remote Work in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across U.S. crop and animal production, 14.4% of workers worked remotely in 2021, compared with 14.7% in 2019 and 15.4% in 2020.[19]
  • Across U.S. agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, about 12% of workers worked remotely during October 2023–September 2024, including hybrid and fully remote work.[20]
  • Across U.S. agriculture and food employers, 35% offered some type of remote-work arrangement in 2024, according to AgCareers’ industry hiring report.[21]
  • Across U.S. accommodation and food services, 4.8% of workers worked remotely in 2021, up from 1.9% in 2019 and 5.3% in 2020.[19]

Hybrid Work in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • 84% of Australian agribusiness organisations planned no change to existing flexible or hybrid work arrangements in 2026.[22]
  • 33% of Australian FMCG and agribusiness professionals reported working in hybrid arrangements in 2024.[23]
  • 13% of Australian FMCG and agribusiness professionals preferred full-time on-site work in 2024.[23]
  • Among science-of-food professionals surveyed globally in 2024, respondents averaged 2.1 work-at-home days per week.[24]
  • Among science-of-food professionals surveyed in 2024, 36% reported having no work-at-home days per week.[24]

Employee Engagement in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Employees in manufacture, distribution and storage organizations scored 59.3% on leadership in People Insight’s global benchmark data.[25]
  • Manufacture, distribution and storage organizations recorded an average employee-engagement score of 72.9% in People Insight’s global benchmark data.[25]
  • Employees in manufacture, distribution and storage organizations scored 60.9% on enablement in People Insight’s global benchmark data.[25]
  • At Europe Snacks, a multinational food manufacturer, employee engagement reached 79% across its international workforce and 88% in its UK business after a structured listening program.[25]
  • In the agriculture industry, employees averaged 7.68 out of 10 for engagement and an eNPS of +5 in CultureMonkey’s 2026 benchmark.[26]

DEI in the bison industry

  • 13% of respondents to a U.S. bison-industry benchmarking survey were not identified as White, based on the survey’s reported 87% White share.[6]
  • 24% of respondents to a U.S. bison-industry benchmarking survey identified as women.[6]
  • 73% of respondents to a U.S. bison-industry benchmarking survey identified as men.[6]
  • 87% of respondents to a U.S. bison-industry benchmarking survey identified as White.[6]

Change Management in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • Among food and beverage processors surveyed in 2020, 40% reported changing a process as a structural change.[27]
  • Among food and beverage processors surveyed in 2020, 31% reported changing elements of their supply chain as a structural change.[27]
  • Among food and beverage processors surveyed in 2020, 53% reported conducting safety-related training as a structural change.[27]
  • Among food and beverage processors surveyed in 2020, 37% reported expansions, renovations or added capacity as structural changes.[27]
  • Among consumer packaged goods executives surveyed, 54% said resources dedicated to change programs had increased during the previous 12 months.[28]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

Customer priorities skew to product attributes and information. In Canada in 2007, 90.8% rated tenderness and flavour as very or extremely important when buying bison meat.

Customer experience in the bison industry

  • 59.9% of surveyed bison consumers rated trace-back certification on packaging very or extremely important in Canada in 2007.[29]
  • 49.6% of surveyed bison consumers rated handling and cooking recommendations on packaging very or extremely important in Canada in 2007.[29]
  • 90.8% of surveyed bison consumers rated tenderness and flavour very or extremely important when buying bison meat in Canada in 2007.[29]
  • 54% of Canadian respondents who had consumed bison considered its quality about the same as traditional meat products in 2004.[30]
  • 83% of 2,000 U.S. survey participants said bison tasted as well as or better than beef in 2008.[31]

Customer retention in the bison industry

  • 5% of surveyed Canadians reported eating bison at least once a month in 2004.[30]
  • 18% of surveyed Canadians reported eating bison less than once a month in 2004.[30]
  • 77% of surveyed Canadians had never eaten bison meat in 2004.[30]
  • 59% of respondents in a Nevada bison-ranch customer survey said they purchased buffalo meat in the survey year.[32]

Customer acquisition in the bison industry

  • 38% of surveyed Canadians consumed specialty meats in 2004, creating a stated target segment for bison acquisition.[30]
  • 64% of surveyed Canadians had heard of bison meat in 2004, indicating the size of the potential awareness pool for customer acquisition.[30]
  • 66.6% of the U.S. bison-meat market was attributed to commercial end users in 2021.[33]
  • 40% of 2,000 U.S. survey participants said they had tried bison in 2008.[31]
  • 47% of surveyed Canadians who consumed specialty meats mentioned bison most often in 2004.[30]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

Brand signals reflect channel and messaging choices. In 2021, 27.4% of the U.S. bison-meat market used online retailers, and online retail was forecast to grow at 7.0% CAGR from 2021 through 2030.

Marketing in the bison industry

  • 15% of surveyed other-species livestock producers, including bison producers, rated local newspaper advertising important to very important as a marketing channel in 2023.[34]
  • 42% of surveyed other-species livestock producers, including bison producers, reported using licensed USDA or Kansas facilities for processing in 2023.[34]
  • 58% of surveyed other-species livestock producers, including bison producers, rated social media important to very important as a marketing channel in 2023.[34]
  • 15% of surveyed other-species livestock producers, including bison producers, identified livestock-auction markets as a customer base in 2023.[34]
  • 17% of surveyed other-species livestock producers, including bison producers, rated livestock auctions important to very important as a marketing channel in 2023.[34]

Digital marketing in the bison industry

  • 25% of surveyed other-species livestock producers, including bison producers, rated social media not used to not important in 2023.[34]
  • 31% of surveyed other-species livestock producers, including bison producers, rated websites important to very important in 2023.[34]
  • 27.4% of the U.S. bison-meat market used online retailers in 2021.[33]
  • Online U.S. bison-meat retailing was forecast to grow at a 7.0% compound annual growth rate from 2021 through 2030.[33]
  • 58% of surveyed other-species livestock producers, including bison producers, rated social media important to very important in 2023.[34]

Branding in the bison industry

  • 81.7% of respondents rated prairie restoration very important for a premium bison concept in a 2009 consumer test.[35]
  • 88.5% of respondents rated environmentally friendly production practices very important for a premium bison concept in a 2009 consumer test.[35]
  • 47% of surveyed Canadian specialty-meat consumers mentioned bison most often in 2004.[30]
  • 82.1% of respondents rated respectful and humane animal treatment very important for a premium bison concept in a 2009 consumer test.[35]
  • 83.4% of respondents rated nutrition and health benefits very important for a premium bison concept in a 2009 consumer test.[35]

Influencer Marketing in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • 11.5 million influencer posts covered food and drink globally in 2023, according to Sprout Social’s benchmark dataset.[36]
  • Food and drink influencer content produced an estimated $122 billion in earned media value globally in 2023.[36]
  • Food and drink influencer content involved 78,800 profiles globally in 2023, based on Sprout Social’s benchmark dataset.[36]
  • Food and drink influencer content generated 392 billion impressions globally in 2023.[36]
  • Food and drink influencer posts achieved a 1.19% average engagement rate globally in 2023.[36]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

Operational routing varies by customer and processor. For July 2021–June 2022, 54.3% of bison removed from U.S. operations were sent directly to an offsite slaughterer or packer.

Quality management in the bison industry

  • Approximately one-third of surveyed U.S. bison stakeholders were neutral about whether carcass grading would benefit the industry in 2022.[37]
  • Approximately half of surveyed U.S. bison-industry stakeholders agreed that a carcass-grading system could benefit the industry in 2022.[37]
  • Animal handling, bison behavior, employee training, facility design and transportation duration were identified as the most critical welfare factors by surveyed stakeholders in 2022.[37]

Supply chain in the bison industry

  • 39,683 pounds of boneless fresh-chilled bison meat were imported into Canada from the United States or other suppliers year to date through April 2025.[38]
  • 234,131 pounds of bone-in fresh-chilled bison meat were imported into Canada year to date through April 2025.[38]
  • 635,592 pounds of boneless fresh-chilled bison meat were exported to Mexico year to date through April 2025.[38]

Outsourcing / Offshoring in the agriculture and food production sector (sector benchmark)

  • 49% of U.S. growers surveyed outsourced at least some farm work to third-party service providers in 2022, with spraying services the most commonly outsourced activity.[39]
  • 2% of Canadian food and beverage companies outsourced production entirely to third-party manufacturers in 2020.[40]
  • About 12% of firms in the 11-country World Bank Firm-level Adoption of Technology sample outsourced at least one food-processing function, compared with about 18% in apparel.[41]
  • 85% of Canadian food and beverage companies processed or manufactured products internally in 2020, while 13% both produced internally and outsourced production.[40]
  • 19% of surveyed Queensland food-processing businesses contracted work out in 2010, while 28% contracted work in and 15% did both.[42]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

Pricing signals show premium carcass levels and thin volume. USDA’s October 2026 report logged 2,374 grain-fed carcasses and weighted averages of $544.33 per hundredweight for young-bull carcasses.

Pricing strategy in the bison industry

  • Direct-to-consumer grass-fed ground bison averaged $14.90 per pound in April 2025.[38]
  • Wholesale bison tenderloin averaged $2,549.37 per hundredweight in the United States in April 2025.[38]
  • Young-heifer bison carcasses averaged $463.24 per hundredweight at U.S. plants in April 2025.[38]
  • Young-bull bison carcasses averaged $486.49 per hundredweight at U.S. plants in April 2025.[38]
  • Direct-to-consumer grass-fed bison ribeye steaks averaged $45.56 per pound in April 2025.[38]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

Utilization and fabrication shape value. The dataset estimates 70% of a bison hanging carcass becomes finished meat, with 50% of bison marketed as trimmings or ground in 2024.

Product development in the bison industry

  • 50% of bison meat was marketed as trimmings or ground product in 2024, while the remainder was fabricated into whole-muscle cuts such as steaks, according to a bison carcass-value research project in the United States.[43]
  • Approximately 500 pounds of finished meat can result from a 1,200-pound market-ready bison bull, according to estimates for U.S. bison processing and co-product development.[44]
  • 70% of a bison hanging carcass becomes finished meat, according to estimates cited for commercial bison processing and product utilization.[44]
  • 260–300 bison were processed weekly at North American Bison’s North Dakota facility in 2024, compared with about 3 animals weekly in the 1990s.[45]

Product lifecycle in the bison industry

  • 28.6% of U.S. bison older than 3 years that left operations during July 2021–June 2022 were slaughtered on the ranch.[7]
  • 24.0% of U.S. bison younger than 1 year that left operations during July 2021–June 2022 were sent directly to an offsite slaughterer or packer.[7]
  • 54.3% of bison removed from U.S. operations during July 2021–June 2022 were sent directly to an offsite slaughterer or packer.[7]
  • 69.6% of U.S. bison aged 1–3 years that left operations during July 2021–June 2022 were sent directly to an offsite slaughterer or packer.[7]
  • 13.9% of bison removed from U.S. operations during July 2021–June 2022 were sent directly to a feedlot.[7]

Value proposition in the bison industry

  • 149,539 bison were reported on 989 Canadian farms and ranches in 2021, representing a 25.3% increase in animals from 2016.[14]
  • 77% of Canada’s approximately 1,200 bison farms were located in Saskatchewan and Alberta in 2013, supporting regional positioning of bison as a premium agricultural product.[14]
  • 151 bison was the average Canadian herd size in 2021, up 23.8% from 122 head in 2016.[14]
  • 71,600 bison were slaughtered for meat in North America in 2013, including 57,200 in the United States and 14,400 in Canada.[14]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

Range-based practices dominate some surveyed operations. For July 2021–June 2022, 93.7% kept at least some animals on range or pasture, and 30.7% used rotational grazing as their primary grazing system.

Sustainability in the bison industry

  • 77.3% of U.S. bison operations with pasture access kept bison on pasture for 12 months during July 2021–June 2022.[7]
  • 47.7% of U.S. bison operations raised animals without genetically modified organism feeds during the 2021–2022 study period.[7]
  • 30.7% of U.S. bison operations with pasture access used rotational grazing as their primary grazing system in 2022.[7]
  • 93.7% of U.S. bison operations kept at least some animals on range or pasture from July 2021 through June 2022.[7]
  • 35.2% of U.S. bison operations raised animals to meet USDA or American Grassfed Association grass-fed criteria in 2022.[7]

Ethics in the bison industry

  • 3.8% of U.S. bison operations reported a veterinary visit for euthanasia during the 2021–2022 study period.[7]
  • 38.7% of large U.S. bison operations using mobile slaughter units cited animal welfare as the primary reason in 2022.[7]
  • 9.3% of U.S. bison operations reported a veterinary visit for employee training during the 2021–2022 study period.[7]
  • 5.1% of U.S. bison operations held animal-welfare certification from organizations supporting humane agriculture in 2022.[7]
  • 23.9% of U.S. bison operations using mobile slaughter units cited animal welfare as the primary reason in 2022.[7]

Carbon footprint in the bison industry

  • 6.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per livestock bison head per year was estimated on a 20-year global-warming-potential basis in the Yellowstone analysis.[46]
  • 30 kilograms of methane per bison per year was the study’s rough annualized estimate based on winter daytime measurements from Montana in 2017–2018.[47]
  • 2.2 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per livestock bison head per year was estimated on a 100-year global-warming-potential basis in the Yellowstone analysis.[46]
  • 58.5 micromoles of methane per second per bison was the measured mean methane efflux for a Montana herd during winter observations in 2017–2018.[47]
  • 54–109 grams of methane per bison per day was the 95% confidence interval for measured winter methane efflux in Montana in 2017–2018.[47]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

Cross-border flows are material for the category. In 2024, 80,000 live Canadian bison were imported into the United States, representing nearly half of U.S. bison processed that year.

Globalization in the bison industry

  • 47,201 kilograms of Canadian bone-in bison meat were exported in January–February 2024, up 1,777.5% year over year.[14]
  • 24,465 live bison were exported from Canada in 2025, valued at C$75 million.[15]
  • C$13.8 million of Manitoba live-bison exports went to the United States in 2022, representing 14% of Canada’s bison exports.[13]
  • 80,000 live Canadian bison were imported into the United States in 2024, representing nearly half of U.S. bison processed that year.[14]
  • 664 tonnes of Canadian bison meat were exported in 2025, valued at C$15.99 million.[15]

Stakeholder management in the bison industry

  • 46 member partners participated in the National Bison Association Growth Fund in 2025.[16]
  • $704,000 was available for subawards under the National Bison Association’s FY2026 grant program.[16]
  • $150,000 was the maximum award available to an applicant under the FY2026 Bison Production and Marketing Grant Program.[16]
  • 3 organizations—Flower Hill Institute, the National Bison Association and Mad Agriculture—were awarded USDA funding to administer the Bison Production and Marketing Grant Program.[16]

Distribution channels in the bison industry

  • 32,362 live bison were exported from Canada in 2022, according to Canadian Bison Association disposition data.[14]
  • 18,364 live bison were exported from Canada in 2017, according to Canadian Bison Association disposition data.[14]
  • 10 processing plants produced bison meat in Manitoba in 2021.[13]
  • 8,255 bison were processed in federally inspected Canadian plants in 2022.[14]
  • 2,537 bison were processed in provincially inspected Canadian plants in 2022.[14]

Key questions about the bison industry

What is the current U.S. bison meat market size, and what does the model forecast to 2030?
The U.S. bison meat market was estimated at $393.4M in 2024. The same model forecasts 6.5% CAGR from 2022 to 2030, reaching approximately $587.3M by 2030.
How fast is the U.S. bison meat market expected to grow through 2030?
The U.S. model forecasts a 6.5% compound annual growth rate from 2022 to 2030. It projects the market to reach approximately $587.3M by 2030.
Which companies lead the bison industry?
Turner Enterprises leads Gitnux's 2026 bison ranking with an Overall score of 9.6, with largest and progressive bison operation, per Turner Ranches description. Durham Meat & Seafood is the runner-up at 9.0, driven by 55,000 acres in Wyoming for the Durham Ranch operation.
What data and technology gaps show up in bison-relevant operations and decision-making?
Manufacturing organizations reported 49% rated operational data as low AI readiness in 2024 and 69% relied on spreadsheets and email for core operations in 2025. Food and beverage teams also cited disconnected systems and data as a biggest barrier in 2026.
How is the U.S. bison industry structured across farms and processing capacity?
The 2022 USDA Census counted 192,477 bison on 1,986 U.S. farms. Industry supply is fragmented across nearly 2,000 private farms and ranches, while processing capacity is concentrated in a relatively small number of facilities.
What pricing signals are available from the latest USDA monthly bison report referenced for 2026?
USDA’s October 2026 monthly report recorded grain-fed young-bull carcasses at a weighted average of $544.33 per hundredweight and young heifers at $525.36 per hundredweight. It also showed 2,374 grain-fed carcasses in the reporting period.
Reference

Cite This Report

This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.

APA
Samuel Norberg. (2026, November 11). Bison Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/bison-industry-statistics
MLA
Samuel Norberg. "Bison Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 11 Nov 2026, https://gitnux.org/bison-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Samuel Norberg. 2026. "Bison Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/bison-industry-statistics.

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