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 BC General Employees' Union and Health Employers Association announced the agreement Monday, saying it was reached early Sunday morning. The contract covers 21,700 people who work in private homes, group homes, residential living centres, child development, mental-health centres and other programs around B.C.
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A single application process is being created, and Eby says permit and authorization decisions will be expedited through a cross-ministry team focused solely on processing housing permits. He says 42 new full-time staff will be hired to identify the highest-priority housing and will steer those through the process quickly and efficiently.
Chou and her former partner Danny Chen, who was not living there but was still listed as a tenant, have been ordered to pay the Langara Gardens apartment building more than $512,000 for damages caused by the fire. The fire spread to other apartments, and the court ruled Chou will also pay $56,000 to Langara Gardens for the rent lost while 10 units were repaired.
A 54-year-old woman, Nev Bains, was last seen at her North Delta home that morning. Nev’s car has been located in the Bridgeview area of Surrey. Nev is described as 5’3” tall, approximately 140 lbs, with medium-length black hair.
In the early morning hours on Sunday, at 5:04am, Surrey RCMP responded to the report of a two vehicle collision at the intersection of 152 St and Guilford Dr. Sadly one of the occupants died at the scene.
