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
Tag Archives farm labour — page 2
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
Farm job automation predicted
Glacier FarmMedia – One-third of agricultural jobs could be automated in the next decade, according to a recent report from the Conference Board of Canada. “While these technologies (automation, data analytics, etc.) hold the potential to optimize production and enable data-driven decision-making,” the report said, “their adoption has led to increased demand for workers with […] 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
Trump’s deportation plan would gut American ag labour force
Nearly 45 percent of all agricultural workers in the United States — 950,000 of an estimated 2.2 million farm workers — are “unauthorized” migrants working illegally on American farms and ranches. All would be deported under the plan former President Donald Trump has been trumpeting since before securing the Republican nomination for president last month. […] Read more
Talent, careers can thrive on Canadian Prairie farms
As we head into harvest season, farmers are again faced with the perennial problem of getting enough people to take off this year’s crop. Traditional solutions include recruiting recently retired farmers who like to jump on the combine, grain cart or truck for a few weeks of work, or younger people from the farm community […] Read more
Ag industry wary of federal immigration plan
Glacier FarmMedia – The 2024 federal budget’s promise to reduce “temporary immigration” could reduce the number of temporary foreign workers available to Canadian agriculture and ag businesses. The document states the government “will reduce the share of temporary residents in Canada to five per cent of the total population over the next three years,” which […] Read more
