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Comment, Op/Ed

Comment: Time to improve conditions for foreign workers

Temporary foreign worker programming earneda hot seat this year due to workers falling ill with COVID-19

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Now is the time for the Canadian government to overhaul the country’s foreign worker program. It is the right thing to do and will benefit Canadian agriculture. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted many of the shortcomings of the current program, which sees thousands of people come to Canada each year to work on farms across

Agricultural Youth Council members introduced

Jobs for next generation also come online

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Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau has named the 25 young people chosen to sit on the inaugural Canadian Agricultural Youth Council. Members of the council (see list below) are expected to offer suggestions on government priorities and identify problems and solutions for Bibeau. “That was quite a challenge actually, because we received over 800 candidates,” Bibeau
Farmit Manitoba, News

Broadening network can ease hiring process

KAP and CAHR seminar suggests several places for farmers to post jobs and seek employees

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With farm labour an ongoing issue, producers might consider moving outside their comfort zones when posting jobs. “Resources such as Manitoba Employment Centres, Métis and Indigenous hiring organizations, Immigrant Service Centres have always been available to employers in Manitoba,” Stephanie Cruikshanks told the Co-operator. “However, agriculture has underutilized these resources as tools.” Cruikshanks, an industry
If expenses are adding up and you’re looking for financial support, one of these programs could help your situation.
News

Fifteen COVID-relief programs for farmers and their employees

A KAP seminar listed and explained the many programs designed to help farmers weather the effects of the pandemic

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Many federal and provincial programs exist to help producers pay employee wages or recoup lost income because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but with the speed those have rolled out and evolved, farmers may not know which is best for them or how to apply. “It can be a little overwhelming to keep track of that

Alberta, Ontario open online portals for domestic ag work

Canadian senators call for support for domestic ag workers

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The Alberta and Ontario governments hope to set up “land armies” of available domestic workers to deploy on their provinces’ farms, in the event that seasonal and temporary foreign workers are unavailable. Both provinces this week announced they have set up online portals where residents can connect with farmers in need of workers. Such jobs
Comment, Opinion

Comment: Growing agriculture’s next generation

More needs to be done to demonstrate agriculture is a great career choice

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The agriculture industry is a vital driver of the Canadian economy, contributing over $122 billion each year to the national GDP. With the world’s population expected to reach 8.5 billion by 2030, the industry has a significant opportunity to grow in economic importance as it expands to feed a growing global community. However, the agricultural
Sean Finn, CN Rail’s executive vice-president of corporate services and chief legal officer, says attracting and retaining train conductors is a challenge despite good wages and a pension.
News

Looking for a good paying job? Try CN Rail

It’s not 9 to 5 so attracting and keeping conductors is a challenge

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CN Rail has hired 1,200 people to be train conductors and after spending about $85,000 training them, the company hopes most decide to stick with it. But it’s not easy attracting and keeping conductors, despite a starting wage of $85,000 a year and a defined benefit pension, says Sean Finn, CN Rail’s executive vice-president of
Farm safety consultant Morag Marjerison says owners of larger farms tend to know how safety and health legislation apply. She especially hopes owners of smaller operations will attend her sessions.
Local news

What to expect if the safety inspector visits your farm

The Manitoba Farm Safety Association is hosting no-cost sessions to help farmers understand Workplace Safety and Health legislation

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What’s a sure sign you don’t know that Workplace Safety and Health legislation applies to your farm? Telling the safety officer who’s just arrived to conduct an inspection to leave — maybe with words your mother wouldn’t like. Workplace Safety and Health laws to ensure safe job sites have applied to all farms in Manitoba
Finding workers for short-season employment in rural areas isn’t easy.
Country Crossroads, Local news

Making it work — or not

Direct Farm Manitoba speaker says farm owners need to look further afield — 
to provincial job centres and settlement agencies — to find the staffers they need

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The labour shortage in agriculture affects all types of farms and enterprises with short-season, high-labour needs definitely feel the pinch of it. Pam and John Griffin need to hire people every summer to take off their strawberry harvest on their five-acre Glenboro-area Good Earth Garden and Berries farm. But not many want the job. “I’m
“Employee turnover is a costly issue for farms across Canada. Once you’ve hired motivated, committed, and qualified people, it is key to retain these workers.”
News

What are the hidden costs of losing a farm worker?

The Canadian Agriculture Human Resource Council offers tools 
to calculate this impact

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Losing a skilled and motivated worker is tough for any farm or business but few operations understand the cost or impact on the bottom line, says the Canadian Agriculture Human Resources Council. It’s offering farmers two tools to calculate the financial impact of replacing a worker, which it says can be as much as 150

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