OTTAWA — The Canadian Federation of Agriculture has a few requests as the federal Liberal government prepares to review the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.
Federal labour minister MaryAnn Mihychuk said in February she would ask a committee to review the program and suggest changes.
Government officials have been invited to attend a conference in Winnipeg next week hosted by the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council to discuss critical shortages in the industry.
Delegates to the CFA annual meeting Feb. 24 passed two resolutions asking for amendments to TFWP.
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One is to change the seasonal agricultural workers component to allow employers to hire workers between Dec. 15 and Jan. 1. The program now allows workers from participating countries for a maximum of eight months between Jan. 1 and Dec. 15.
Another calls for several changes to TFWP, including removing the 10 percent limit on temporary foreign workers for processors that are directly dependent on seasonal production and exempting agricultural workers from the cumulative duration of work provision that limits them to 48 months of work in Canada.
CFA wants all stakeholders, including general farm organizations, beekeepers and commodity associations, consulted about the work term. Work permits should be easily transferable from one employer to another during the season, the motion said.
Another resolution, submitted by the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan, requests a review of the national commodity list. Under TFWP, workers must go to operations that produce products on that list.
Grains and oilseeds, except for pedigreed canola seed, are not on it.
The resolution said grain and oilseeds producers face acute labour shortages similar to other seasonal producers, and the list should more accurately reflect labour needs in the sector.
karen.briere@producer.com
