Ottawa | Reuters — Canada’s farm labour deficit is expected to double by 2029 to 123,000 workers, or one in three jobs, as shortages continue to hit the sector’s bottom line, the Canadian Agriculture Human Resource Council said on Tuesday. Farmers in Canada have long reported challenges in recruiting farm workers because the rural-based work […] Read more
Farm labour shortage seen costing billions, expected to rise
Foreign worker break for seafood sector a ‘one-time’ deal
Winnipeg | Reuters –– Canada’s move to loosen restrictions on hiring foreign workers for East Coast seafood plants was a one-time decision, and the government is not convinced other sectors need similar measures, the country’s employment minister said Thursday. The Liberal government eased restrictions under its foreign worker program recently for Atlantic seafood processors, allowing […] Read more
Workers wanted: Agribusiness sector hiring
CNS Canada — More people have applied for jobs in Canada’s agribusiness sector as of late, according to an industry researcher, but some agricultural sectors still face a critical labour shortage. “People have said that they have received more resumes this year than in previous years,” said Debra Hauer, project manager at the Canadian Agricultural […] Read more
Ag matters: What should be on the agenda for the next government
Election 2015: As Albertans gear up for a provincial election, provincial farm groups share the big issues that matter to them
Reading Time: 4 minutes Investing in agriculture’s future, the nightmare of finding workers, and fair rules for sharing land and water. Those are three big issues for Alberta farm organizations, but not the only ones. None of the farm leaders and officials who spoke to Alberta Farmer had any ‘if you want our vote’ demands for the parties contesting […] Read more
‘Cover your butt’ when it comes to temporary foreign worker program
Farm businesses are seeing frequent rule changes, inconsistent decision-making, and red tape following changes to the temporary foreign worker program
Reading Time: 3 minutes Changes to the temporary foreign worker program has made hiring foreign labour more difficult and costly — especially for lower-skill, lower-wage positions most often seen in agriculture. And while primary agriculture gets some exemptions under the new rules implemented in June, the big challenge is red tape, says an immigration consultant who works with farms […] Read more
Abuse of temporary foreign worker program could spell trouble for farmers
Alberta’s labour shortage has made hiring temporary foreign workers more attractive for farmers — but visas are harder to get
Reading Time: 2 minutes Producers may have a harder time getting foreign worker visas following recent allegations that McDonald’s is abusing Canada’s temporary foreign worker program. “It’s getting more difficult (to hire foreign labour),” said Al Dooley, agriculture labour recruiter with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. “We’ve seen, from the program’s point of view, some bad news stories, and […] Read more
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