Quick facts
- In 2022, over 28,000 jobs were unfilled during peak season.
- CAHRC estimates that labour shortages in 2022 resulted in $3.5 billion in lost sales.
- Nearly all vacant positions are filled by international agricultural workers, despite robust advertising and hiring efforts by Canadian farmers.
- 2 out of 5 agriculture employers surveyed were not able to find all the workers they needed.
- In 2022 the agriculture sector employed 64,660 TFWs
- There is a projected 15% labour gap by 2030, and over 85,300 retirements in the sector by 2030.
- Foreign workers are expected to fill four out of five vacant position, which would still leave 22,200 jobs unfilled in 2030.
- The greenhouse, nursery and floriculture sectors are the largest users of foreign labour, as they have no mechanical alternative to pick their products.
- Labour disruptions, such as rail strikes, are becoming increasingly frequent and have severe negative impacts on Canadian farmers and Canada’s reputation as a reliable trading partner.
Issue overview
Like any industry, agriculture requires a steady supply of labour to keep operations going. Farmers continue to identify chronic and critical labour shortages as one of the most pressing risks facing Canadian agriculture and a major constraint on both agricultural growth and global competitiveness. Agriculture is a complex industry that faces unique workforce challenges due to rural depopulation and seasonal production of highly perishable products.
The CFA recognizes that industry has an important role to play in addressing labour shortages in our sector and has partnered with CAHRC and Food and Beverage Canada (FBC-ABC) to develop and launch the National Workforce Strategic Plan for Agriculture and Food and Beverage Manufacturing which recognizes that temporary foreign workers alone will not solve our challenges. We also need to focus on skills development, automation and technology, as well as industry perceptions and promoting careers in our sector.
Farmers also are facing increasingly frequent disruptions to the supply chain caused by labour disruptions such as the recent strikes at both CN and CP rail. These disruptions have huge consequences for farmers, impacting their cash flow, ability to plan and the acquire inputs for the next growing season. CFA is seeking a long-term solution to these disruptions.
Further information on the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, including its history and relationship to Canadian agriculture, can be found here.