Canada needs 30,000 new immigrants in agri sector: Report
Darpan News Desk IANS, 19 Apr, 2023 02:09 PM
Toronto, April 19 (IANS) Canada needs 30,000 permanent immigrants over the next decade to either start up their own farms, or take over existing ones, to address a looming labour crisis in the agriculture industry, says a new study.
According to a Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) research, 40 per cent of Canadian farm operators will retire by 2033, placing agriculture on the cusp of one of the biggest labour and leadership transitions in the country's history.
Over the same period, a shortfall of 24,000 general farm, nursery and greenhouse workers is expected to emerge, and in 10 years, 60 per cent of today's farm operators will be over the age of 65, that is, close to retirement.
Amidst all this, 66 per cent of producers do not have a succession plan in place, leaving the future of farmland in doubt, the study said.
Canada's agricultural sector is among the most diverse in the world though the degree of demand for foreign workers differs significantly by province and operation.
When it comes to more highly-skilled farm operators, Canada has always welcomed them from India, the Netherlands, China, the US and the UK.
However, in case of immigration of low-skilled labourers, better policies are needed because the Temporary Foreign Workers (TFW) program, which remains a critical source of low-skilled labour, is just a provisional solution to a chronic issue, the study said.
Many of these TFWs who develop skills essential to seeding and harvests, must return to their home countries for short periods, and if they are unable to return to Canada, the country's on-farm workforce is dramatically reduced.
RBC researchers said that a pathway to permanent residency for experienced TFWs will immediately address this type of shortage.
Canada had started an agriculture-specific immigration pilot programme in 2020 to give a path to permanent residency for non-seasonal workers with experience, which is set to end in May 2023, a CBC News report said.
As of February 2023, more than 1,500 people have been admitted through the program in Ottawa province.
A department spokesperson told CBC that they are assessing the pilot programme "and the possible extension beyond its scheduled expiry".
The spokesperson added that giving migrants permanent residence "is not the solution to labour shortages".
Mid-sized businesses like London Drugs, along with grocery stores, dollar-stores, and clothing retailers, were among the widest targeted by thieves during the three-week anti-shoplifting blitz, which ran February 15 to March 10.
The budget's economic projections, which are based on a survey of private-sector economists, show the economy slowing more than what was anticipated in the fall. The federal government is now expecting a shallow recession this year as high interest rates weigh on growth.
A 40-year-old pedestrian was struck at 9:30 p.m. while crossing East 1st Avenue at Woodland Drive, suffering life-threatening injuries. She remains at hospital in critical condition. The driver remained at the collision scene, and neither speed nor alcohol are considered factors.
That includes a new tax credit worth 15 per cent of investments made to build new renewable energy infrastructure, including wind and solar plants, nuclear reactors, emissions-trapping natural gas plants, new transmission lines between provinces and territories and stationary electricity storage, such as batteries.
The accused, Inderdeep Singh Gosal, was arrested at the scene moments later when bystanders flagged down a constable patrolling the area, police said. The 32-year-old has been charged with second-degree murder and a hearing has been scheduled in Vancouver provincial court on April 11.
The suspect was observed on CCTV and is described as a Caucasian male wearing a black hoody with white designs, a blue jacket, dark pants, Nike runners and a black baseball cap.
