Innovation and youth focus highlight Canadian Dairy XPO 2026

The sales crew and staff join Daryl and Sarah Markus and family during Wednesday’s CDX Sale for a Cause, which raised $326,000 through the sale of 47 calves, with proceeds supporting the Children’s Health Foundation. Gary West photo

By Amanda Nelson

The Canadian Dairy XPO was held in Stratford from April 1-3, drawing a record 18,000 attendees.

The show, considered Canada’s largest dairy showcase, featured more than 350 exhibiting companies from around the world, bringing innovation, education, genetics and hospitality to Canadian dairy producers.

Opening ceremonies included several Canadian dignitaries, among them Heath MacDonald, Rob Black and Stratford Mayor Martin Ritsma.

“It’s really great to see these people show up and stick their neck out,” said Jordan Underhill, CDX director. “Getting in front of and speaking to the people who produce their food means a lot to the farmers and everyone they talk to.”

Underhill said the record attendance is notable at a time when the dairy sector is consolidating across Canada, with farms growing larger.

“We don’t have fewer cows or less milk being produced; we just see small farms getting bigger and medium farms getting even bigger,” he said.

“We’re seeing consolidation in the dairy and agricultural sector by up to five per cent a year, so the fact that we’re holding attendance and even slightly growing each year is pretty incredible. It really comes down to the quality of the audience, which obviously we have with dairy farmers, but we’re still seeing more people attending each year.”

Event features included the Canadian Dairy Business Summit, held March 31. The one-day educational program focused on discussions about the future of Canadian dairy, including market outlooks, trade pressures, artificial intelligence, profitability and farm succession.

DairyFEST also hosted its annual Irish-themed opening night, presented by Enterprise Ireland, featuring food, networking and entertainment.

Youth Day was held April 2, offering students a career-focused program connecting them with dairy employers for résumé reviews and networking.

“It’s a chance for youth to drop off résumés at the companies that are hiring,” said Underhill. “Over half of the 150 companies that participate in CDX are actively hiring. There are a lot of great job opportunities not only in agriculture but also in agri-food.”

Featured events also included the Youth Dairy Showing Clinic, Calves for a Cause sale, producer pancake breakfast, Hoof Trimming Corral show presented by Diamond Hoof Care, Blondin Sires Youth Clipping Clinic, John Deere Kids Zone, Genetics in Motion showcase and international pavilions from Germany and the Netherlands.

“The Canadian Dairy Expo is for Canadian dairy producers, but the idea is that we give them access to international innovations,” said Underhill. “We’ve had the German pavilion for years, and this year we added a Netherlands pavilion showcasing companies interested in doing business in Canada and North America.

Underhill emphasized the importance of encouraging youth to consider careers in dairy farming, noting innovation is helping improve work-life balance on farms.

“You hear people say this is an industry show, and it’s become the place to be seen, whether you’re an agribusiness or a producer,” he said. “You see families walking around with their sons and daughters, and it becomes more than just a trade show. There’s a cultural component – a real need for it.

“With farms getting bigger and dairy farmers having less time off, this is a chance to get away, network and share ideas. That camaraderie has become really important.

“The magical thing about the dairy industry in Canada is that it’s attracting young people. Whether it’s robotics or the ability to have some work-life balance – which is important to younger people now – those opportunities weren’t really part of agriculture in the past, but with robotics, they are.”

Underhill said innovation plays a key role in attracting and retaining the next generation of dairy farmers.

“It’s attracting and keeping intelligent young people on dairy operations. Youth and innovation go hand in hand. I don’t think we’d have the youth without the innovation, but we do.

“The show’s concept is giving Canadian dairy producers access to international innovation to make them more efficient and help them produce a safer product for consumers. In turn, that’s keeping young people on these dairy operations.

“I think the Dairy Expo does a good job of capturing and showcasing the Canadian dairy industry to the rest of the world. We have so much to be proud of living here in Canada and being dairy farmers in Canada. It’s a great snapshot of what the industry has to offer.”