Labour shortages are a global issue across every sector, including Ontario’s agri-business, according to a recent survey from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. “We found that almost two-thirds (61 per cent) of agri-business owners turned to their existing employees to work more hours due to lack of staff,” said Jasmin Guenette, the federation’s vice-president […] Read more
Tag Archives food processing — page 5
Chronic labour shortages increase national food security risk: study
Labour shortages trigger lost sales, lost contracts and decreased services
B.C. to back Indigenous food system projects
New program taking applications starting Monday
A new British Columbia program will provide up to $80,000 each for projects in agriculture, food processing or other sectors to improve food security in that province’s Indigenous communities. The province on Wednesday rolled out a new Indigenous Food Systems and Agriculture Partnership Program, which is set up to take applications starting Monday (Sept. 26) […] Read more
Agropur backs major upgrades for Nova Scotia ice cream plant
Dairy co-op puts up $34M to 'redefine space' at Truro
Major dairy co-operative Agropur is putting up eight figures to upgrade an ice cream and frozen novelties plant it owns in Nova Scotia to handle new premium product lines. The co-operative said June 17 it will invest $34 million in the former Scotsburn plant at Truro, to “redefine the space within the plant (and) support […] Read more
Changes to TFW program to expand worker availability
Workplace LMIAs now valid for 18 months
The federal government is boosting the availability of temporary foreign workers (TFWs) to ag and other understaffed sectors under a list of policy changes announced Monday. Employment and Workforce Development Minister Carla Qualtrough announced what’s called the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program Workforce Solutions Road Map, which the government said “marks the next step in […] Read more
Agri-food labour pilot programs receive funding
Efforts to build a competitive and robust agri-food workforce are getting a $4 million boost from the federal and provincial governments. Funded through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (CAP), the Ontario Agri-Careers Support Initiative (OACS) supports pilot projects to attract, support and retain workers into the sector, such as transportation initiatives, childcare options and language proficiency […] Read more
Food processor survey highlights labour challenges
Sector must promote opportunities to job-seekers
A 2021 report from Food Processing Skills Canada (FPSC) pinpoints labour availability as the “the most critical business challenge” for the food processing sector and it has issued a call to action. Its recent survey report, entitled “Crossroads to Greatness: key insights and labour market research about Canada’s food and beverage manufacturing industry,” identified the […] Read more
Ag and food processing sectors join forces on labour challenges
Two-year industry-led project aims to spur action and attract workers
In Canada’s agriculture sector, 16,500 jobs went unfilled in 2017 due to a labour shortage and recent estimates indicate the problem has worsened. In food and beverage manufacturing, 2020 surveys reveal approximately 30,000 positions were not filled. The 2017 cost in lost sales and decreased yield due to delayed harvest was estimated at $2.9 billion, […] Read more
Could COVID vaccine development speed change the game for food?
Could bio-innovation be the disruptive technology that addresses the challenges of feeding a growing population and reversing climate change? A McKinsey Global Institute report was released in May 2020 called The Bio Revolution: Innovations transforming economies, societies and our lives. It surveyed scientific advances and explored 400 use cases to create a roadmap of the […] Read more
Agriculture, agrifood wish lists pile up ahead of long-delayed budget
Freeland's budget due out Monday afternoon
Agriculture and agrifood sector stakeholders will learn Monday which of their requests make their way out of the pile and into a long-awaited federal budget. Federal Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland’s 2021 budget is scheduled to be released Monday in the House of Commons, at about 4 p.m. ET. Canadians didn’t get a 2020 budget: it […] Read more
Demand surges for processing tomatoes
Ontario producers will need to grow more tomatoes to meet 2021 demand
As people were forced to cook at home, many reached for the tomato sauce. Demand for processed tomato products jumped globally in 2020, lowering product inventories and peaking interest from both growers and processors. Whether higher demands will outlast the pandemic remains uncertain. But in the meantime, Ontario’s processing tomato sector is gearing up for […] Read more
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