A news release came across my desk last month that raised some good questions regarding veterinary care for livestock in Ontario. The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) announced in October a Veterinary Incentive Program (VIP) offering grants up to $50,000 to recent veterinary school graduates wanting to work with livestock in […] Read more
Tag Archives labour shortages
Opinion: Veterinary shortage more than a northern Ontario problem
Taking the long-term approach to recruitment
Case IH’s partners with technical schools in Canada and the U.S. to identify and train future employees
Glacier FarmMedia – Nobody needs to tell farmers that today’s agriculture equipment has gone high tech, making modern equipment capable of remarkable efficiencies that improve a farm’s bottom line. However, it also means that the days of expecting to fix a breakdown with a small toolbox full of wrenches and a tube of grease have […] Read more
Opinion: Meat processors key link in local food value chain
Labour shortages have long been a challenge for the meat processing sector. Not only does this create problems for meat processing businesses themselves, but it also makes it harder for farmers to access much-needed processing capacity for their livestock when animals are ready for market. The COVID-19 pandemic intensified the skilled worker shortage, while driving […] Read more
Peggy Brekveld named CAHRC chair
Ontario dairy farmer looks forward to addressing labour shortages
The Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council (CAHRC) acclaimed Peggy Brekveld for a two-year term as chair on June 20. The northern Ontario dairy farmer and Ontario Federation of Agriculture president will join vice-chair Stefan Larrass representing Flowers Canada Growers; Canadian Aquaculture Industry Association’s Cyr Couturier as treasurer; Brenna Mahoney of Manitoba’s Keystone Agricultural Producers; and […] Read more
Canada cleared of seasonal agriculture worker slavery allegations
Migrant worker groups say the report lacks balance
The Jamaican government has cleared Canada’s Seasonal Agriculture Worker Program of allegations that it has systematic slave-like conditions, following receipt of an independent investigation. In August 2022, two Jamaicans employed under the program drew international attention after they emailed Karl Samuda, Jamaican minister of labour and social security, described the program as “systematic slavery” and […] Read more
Bridge generation gaps to attract, retain labour: researcher
Understanding how younger generations learn can lead to more successful hiring
Understanding how and what shapes generations is vital to successful communication, job attraction, retention and skill utilization in the workplace. That was the message to attendees of the Beef Industry Conference from Alicia Rainwater of the Center for Generational Kinetics. “Understanding generations gives us three things,” she said. “It helps us build trust, connection and […] Read more
Chronic labour shortages increase national food security risk: study
Labour shortages trigger lost sales, lost contracts and decreased services
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
Amendments made to regulations affecting temporary foreign workers
Goal of changes is to strengthen protections, but industry given little notice
Amendments to regulations that protect temporary foreign workers came into force Sept. 26, but farmers and industry associations were given little information about them. Only a high level question and answer document was provided for the new Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR). Why it matters: Producers who employ foreign workers must comply with the […] Read more
Industry maps out agriculture labour strategy
Steering group proposes five-pillar plan to attract and retain workers with the right skills
Glacier FarmMedia – An industry steering group has released an agricultural labour strategy it hopes will lead to a comprehensive plan for a stable workforce. The critical shortage of workers in both primary agriculture and food and beverage manufacturing was well known before the COVID-19 pandemic and exacerbated over the last two years. The Canadian […] Read more
North American pork producers face tight labour market
U.S. packers struggling to staff up, sending hams to Mexico for processing, producers heard
Glacier FarmMedia – Labour issues for pork producers and processors in Iowa and Minnesota are just as dire as in Canada, pork producers heard during Manitoba Pork Council’s annual meeting April 6. “Currently labour is our No. 1 issue on the farm as well as in the plants,” said Kevin Rasmussen, president of the Iowa […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
