Agriculture faces TFW challenge

  • National Newswatch

Workers needed to keep food production going

Ottawa-The government should exempt the agri-food sector from any plans to limit the number of Temporary Foreign Workers (TFWs) allowed into Canada, says Ontario Senator Rob Black.

Canadian agri-food contributed $150 billion to Canada’s GDP in 2023, roughly seven per cent of the total, and plays a vital role in the health and prosperity of both rural and urban communities across the country, Black told the Senate.

“Our farmers are facing a worsening labour crisis. Over 28,000 agricultural jobs went unfilled in 2022, even after more than 70,000 temporary foreign workers were brought to Canada to help meet demand. This workforce represents over 20 per of the total employment in agriculture, and in some areas, like horticulture, the sector simply cannot function without it.

“The Royal Bank of Canada also warns that by 2033, 40 per cent of farm operators will retire. It’s clear that the labour shortage is only getting worse.”

Black said the government is planning to cap temporary residents at under five per cent of Canada’s population by 2027 and that would have a serious impact on the agri-food sector. The government should explain how Canadians can expect to have reliable access to affordable domestically grown food when fewer and fewer temporary foreign workers are coming to Canada.

Senator Marc Gold, the Government Representative in the Senate, said the government understands that the TFW Program is essential to the economy “and, in particular, to supporting crucial sectors including agriculture as well as others such as fisheries and tourism. The government is committed to ensuring the quick arrival of temporary workers to meet employer needs and fill labour market vacancies.

“The government remains in close coordination with provincial and territorial counterparts on the path forward to ensure sustainable immigration while also addressing these critical labour needs,” he said.

 

This news article prepared for National Newswatch