Farm, agrifood groups say government understands the importance of temporary foreign workers to agriculture
WINNIPEG — The federal government’s new policy on immigration will not have huge consequences for agri-food processors or farmers, say spokespeople for the Canadian Meat Council and the Canadian Federation of Agriculture. Last week, Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced a plan to cut the number of temporary residents in Canada to curb population growth from […] Read moreTag Archives TFW
Over-emphasis on ag skews temporary foreign worker debate
Earlier last month, the federal government announced it was making changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, saying that the program was being “misused.” In a release, Randy Boissonnault, minister of employment, workforce development and official languages, said “bad actors are taking advantage of people and compromising the program for legitimate businesses. We are putting […] 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
Feds add measures to discourage TFW reliance
Temporary foreign worker numbers have risen in recent years, prompting calls for more robust oversight of the program
Glacier FarmMedia – The federal government is changing Canada’s temporary foreign worker programs to reduce the use of migrant workers in Canada. That could affect the agriculture sector, though it’s not a direct target of the reforms. “Bad actors are taking advantage of people and compromising the program for legitimate businesses. We are putting more […] Read more
TFW changes frustrate red meat sector
WINNIPEG — Livestock groups and meat processors say the federal government and its response to the housing shortage is harming Canada’s red meat industry. In a joint statement released May 29, the Canadian Meat Council, the Canadian Cattle Association, the National Cattle Feeders’ Association and the Canadian Pork Council asked the feds to restore the […] 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
Canadian Meat Council decries TFW changes
Glacier FarmMedia – The Canadian Meat Council says incoming changes to the Temporary Foreign Workers Program are going to add to the sector’s already significant labour challenges. In a media release the group, which represents federally licensed meat packers and meat processors and suppliers of goods and services to the meat industry, said the move […] Read more
Are temporary foreign workers at risk?
Bill George, who grows grapes for winemaking in Ontario’s Niagara region, has heard hundreds of comments about temporary foreign workers employed at Canadian farms. Most accusations are delivered through social media and are based on misinformation. But it’s especially frustrating when a person of influence makes what he considers a ridiculous comment about foreign workers […] Read more
Immigration ag program extended
The federal government has extended the Agri-Food Immigration pilot program until May 2025. The program provides a pathway for temporary foreign workers employed at greenhouses, mushroom farms, livestock farms, meat-packing plants or retail butcher shops to become permanent residents of Canada. The three-year program started in 2020, but Minister of Immigration Sean Fraser said May […] Read more
Federal ag immigration program will continue to 2025
For years, meat packers, hog farmers, greenhouses and many other segments of Canada's agri-food sector have struggled to attract domestic workers. They have relied on temporary foreign workers (TFW) to fill the void. The Agri-Food pilot program was designed to help more TFW become permanent residents of Canada, so farmers and meat processors have a stable workforce.
