two hogs

Worker shortage handicapping ag sector

Plants have jobs but not enough Canadians interested in them

Reading Time: 5 minutes A chronic shortage of workers isn’t just a problem for meat packers, but all of agriculture, say experts. Mark Chambers sees the impact every day at Sunterra Farms, but also knows his experience is being mirrored across the country. “If we can’t get enough labour to produce the value-added products or to expand and grow, […] Read more

young woman

‘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