Given that some provinces require more people in this area than others, this data points to major labor shortages in Canada’s agriculture and agri-food industries.
Just a couple of weeks before the above-mentioned piece, CBC quoted a survey claiming that roughly 40% of Canadian farmers will retire within the next ten years. Add to that the fact that two-thirds of farmers “generally lack a succession plan,” and that academics “expect the agriculture industry to lose 24,000 farm, nursery, and greenhouse workers at the same time,” as reported in the same paper.
Taking all of these considerations into account, this older analysis finds that Canada would need to “bring in thirty thousand farm-focused immigrants” to meet the labor deficit in this sector.
Overall, recent articles and data appear to indicate that Canada will require tens of thousands of farm and agri-food employees in the coming years to appropriately address labor deficiencies in this area.
What Opportunities Does This Create For Potential Canadian Immigrants?
According to CAHRC data, Canada’s agriculture industry has become more dependent on immigrant employees because the country lacks the domestic talent needed to address labor shortfalls in this area.
In reality, in 2017, Canadian migrants filled over three-quarters of the labor shortfall in Canada’s agriculture and agri-food industries, “and more than one in every six individuals in Canada’s agricultural workforce (17%) were foreign workers.”
Given that Canada was still not capable of filling over 16,000 jobs in 2017 and that the labor gap in this industry has grown since then, prospective immigrants to Canada interested in agriculture/agri-food work may find an extensive range of employment opportunities throughout this occupational classification.
The History Of Agriculture/Agri-Food Express Entry Draws Until Now
IRCC conducted its first category-based draw for agriculture/agri-food workers recently.
Information acquired from IRCC by the Globe and Mail in August this year revealed that agriculture/agri-food category-based draws will make up approximately “one to two” percent of all remaining Invitations to Apply (ITAs) granted under Express Entry throughout the rest of 2023.
The previous Express Entry draws’ results can be viewed here, and the page will be revised whenever a new draw happens.
