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".
According to Mounties, one residence in the area was hit by gunfire. The residence was occupied at the time of the incident but no gunshot injuries occurred. The victims are cooperating with the police investigation.
The cause of death remains under investigation. Evidence indicates the woman died prior to the fire starting. Vancouver Police are working with the BC Coroners Service to identify the woman.
Environment Canada says anywhere from 15 to 25 centimetres is expected at higher elevations of the passes north and east of Hope by Tuesday morning. Up to 15 centimetres of snow is forecast along the Sea-to-Sky Highway between Squamish and Whistler, but the weather office says conditions there should ease by later in the day.
Flair Airlines says passengers were "impacted" after four of its leased aircraft were seized in Toronto, Edmonton and Waterloo, Ont., in what the company is calling a "commercial dispute." Flair issued a statement on Saturday calling the move by "a New York-based hedge fund" to take the aircraft "extreme and unusual."
Surrey Fire Service say they found one person dead inside an apartment after a fire in the Whalley area. The Surrey RCMP were also called in to the 13300 Block of 104th Avenue where the fire took place at around 8:30am on Saturday.
A province wide warrant has been issued for 24-year-old Austin Durocher, who is charged with one count each of assault, assault by choking, suffocating or strangling, causing unnecessary pain, suffering or injury to an animal and uttering threats.
