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".
The statement from Vancouver police says 34-year-old Jeff Jeanty died in a suspicious fire on Jan. 3, but due to the "sensitive nature" of the investigation, few details could be provided at the time. The woman, in her 20s with a fair complexion, is described as 5’8” tall, with a small to medium build.
The investigation resulted in CFSEU-BC executed 13 search warrants between October 13, 2022 and January 23, 2023 in several Peace Region communities and 23 people were arrested and released pending charge approval and the judicial process.
The 74-year-old victim was standing at a bus stop near Main and Keefer streets at 5:30 a.m. when a stranger walked up behind her and pushed her to the ground. The woman was taken to hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.
VPD officers, who had been patrolling the area after reports of a group of teens knocking over planters and kicking doors, located the injured victim, then arrested the suspects nearby.
45 year old Norvie Nativdad of New Westminster has been charged with Possession of Stolen Property Over $5000, Breach of Undertaking Order, Breach of Release Order, and Unauthorized use of credit card.
B.C.'s Emergency Management Minister Bowinn Ma says the province reached out to Public Safety Canada on Monday morning, just hours after the quake, because such emergency assistance needs to be co-ordinated.
