Maple Leaf poultry sales climb
August 13, 2026
By Canadian Poultry magazine
Company says its poultry supply and production are keeping pace with strong demand for chicken.
Maple Leaf Foods' London poultry plant. Photo Credit: Maple Leaf Foods Talking Points
Maple Leaf Foods reported a 7.1% increase in poultry sales for the second quarter of 2026, driven by higher production and processing capacity. The company's poultry segment now represents approximately 40% of total sales, reflecting a strategic reorganization. President and CEO Curtis Frank emphasized the importance of balancing supply and demand in Canada’s broiler sector during the earnings call.
- Poultry sales rose 9.3% in the first half of 2026 compared to 2025.
- The London, Ont., processing plant is crucial for handling increased chicken production.
- Consumer interest in protein-rich foods continues to drive demand for chicken.
This development highlights Maple Leaf's ability to adapt to market demands, ensuring a steady supply of poultry products as consumer preferences shift towards healthier protein options.
Maple Leaf Foods says its poultry business is keeping pace with strong chicken demand, with increased production and processing capacity helping the company capitalize on higher allocations.
Poultry sales increased 7.1 per cent in the second quarter of 2026, supported by higher volumes, a stronger channel mix and favourable pricing. Through the first half of the year, poultry sales were up 9.3 per cent compared with the same period in 2025, well ahead of Maple Leaf’s overall sales growth of 3.8 per cent.
Poultry now accounts for about 40 per cent of Maple Leaf’s sales following a reorganization that combined its fresh and further-processed poultry businesses.
During the company’s second-quarter earnings call, BMO Capital Markets analyst Tamy Chen asked whether Canada’s supply-managed broiler sector is producing enough chicken to meet demand and whether quota allocations are catching up.
Maple Leaf president and CEO Curtis Frank said the company is currently in a “reasonable place” when it comes to balancing supply and demand.
“You never really want a gas pedal-brake effect, or be oversupplied or undersupplied,” Frank said. “Our goal, and I think the industry goal, is to always be in balance.”
Frank noted that poultry allocations must be used or companies risk losing access to those volumes, making sufficient processing capacity critical as allocations increase.
He pointed to Maple Leaf’s London, Ont., poultry processing plant as a key part of the company’s ability to handle additional chicken production and turn it into value-added products.
“That’s why the London poultry asset was so important for us – the ability to take higher levels of poultry allocations and translate them into value-added sales,” Frank said.
The company’s Edmonton poultry operation is also positioned to support further growth.
Frank said chicken continues to benefit from consumer interest in protein-rich foods and its reputation as a healthy protein source. He also pointed to growing use of GLP-1 medications as another trend supporting demand for high-protein foods.
Overall, Maple Leaf reported second-quarter sales of $1.02 billion, up 1.6 per cent from a year earlier. Its prepared foods sales declined two per cent during the quarter.