The mushroom industry is growing, but many mushroom growers are struggling with issues around labour, which could hamper future growth.
Tag Archives farm labour shortage
Ottawa terminates Agri-food Immigration Pilot
Mushroom farmers ask federal government to restore program and ease labour concerns as their industry continues to grow
Pork groups worry about policy
Glacier FarmMedia – Some pork groups across the Prairies are concerned about Ottawa’s immigration plan. On Oct. 24, the federal government said it will revise immigration levels beginning in 2025 and continuing into 2027. Cam Dahl, general manager of the Manitoba Pork Council, recently wrote a letter on the issue to Marc Miller, federal minister […] Read more
University internship designed to show gamut of ag jobs
Ontario Agricultural College in Guelph has developed an internship course for graduate students in masters’ programs
WINNIPEG — Agricultural workers are getting old. The average Canadian farmer is in their late 50s, which is problematic, but the demographic challenge in agriculture is much bigger than grain, livestock and vegetable production. Companies that provide services and products to Canada’s ag industry have employees that are planning to retire soon. Those firms need […] Read more
South Asians want ag jobs, but lack opportunity
Immigrants from countries such as India have a deep passion for agriculture but are unaware of what’s available
This story is part of a series looking into the pools of human talent within Canada’s population that could help fill the growing labour shortage that is crippling many farms. Diljeet Brar knows the pain of not being a farmer. It’s common in his very urban Sikh community in Winnipeg. Thousands of fellow South Asians […] Read more
Reconciliation can happen,one relationship at a time
Sept. 30, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, is a day for sombre reflection on a painful chapter in Canada’s history, that of residential schools and their lasting impact on Indigenous peoples. While these reflections cannot change the past, they can inform how we build our shared future. For rural Canada, some of the […] Read more
How many workers are labour-poor farms ignoring?
Air Canada: labour issues. Railroads: labour issues. Canada’s economy: labour issues. How about farmers? Yup, labour issues are the number one problem for many farmers and certainly the overwhelming issue for the agriculture industries built upon the crops and livestock that farmers produce. Labour issues are a not-so-subtle subtext lying beneath the troubles of our […] Read more
Foreign workers lose support
WINNIPEG — A majority of Canadians believe that the country takes in too many temporary foreign workers. In an Angus Reid poll released last week, 56 percent of respondents said Canada brings in “way too many” or “too many” temporary foreign workers. When broken down by political affiliation, supporters of the federal Conservative party are […] Read more
Agriculture dodges temporary foreign worker clamp down
Glacier FarmMedia – Agriculture and food processing will be exempt from federal measures to reduce hiring of temporary foreign workers (TFWs) in Canada, the federal government said today. Earlier in August, employment minister Randy Boissonnault introduced stricter oversight in “high risk areas” when processing Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs), used by employers to demonstrate that […] Read more
Farm consolidation drives big bin trend
Take a drive in the country in many parts of Western Canada and you’re likely to see some truly immense grain storage facilities, some with stairs spiraling around to the top of corrugated steel giants many metres tall. Paul Brisebois, senior vice-president for Canada with grain storage and handling company AGI, says the trend to […] Read more
Flexible hiring and collaboration key to solving ag labour shortage
Glacier FarmMedia – A flexible and open-minded approach is necessary to address the labour shortage in the agricultural industry, say stakeholders. The sector needs employees in areas of digital agriculture, mechatronics and clean energy technologies, as well as veterinary professionals. To address this, Manitoba Agriculture is taking a four-pronged approach by investing in people, creating […] Read more
