Canada needs 30,000 more immigrants for the agricultural sector

Although the agricultural industry in Canada is one of the most diverse in the world, the demand for foreign labour varies greatly by region and business.

According to a new study, Canada needs 30,000 permanent immigrants over the next ten years to either start their own farms or take over existing ones to overcome an impending labour shortage in the agricultural sector.

40% of Canadian farm operators will retire by 2033, according to a Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) study, putting agriculture on the verge of one of the greatest leadership and labour transitions in the nation’s history.

24,000 general farm, nursery, and greenhouse workers will be needed throughout the same time period, and in 10 years, 60% of current farm operators will be over 65, or close to retirement.

Despite this, the study found that 66% of farmers lack a succession plan, casting doubt on the future of farming.

Although the agricultural industry in Canada is one of the most diverse in the world, the demand for foreign labour varies greatly by region and business.

Canada has long welcomed additional highly skilled agricultural operators from countries like India, the Netherlands, China, the US, and the UK.

However, in the case of immigration of low-skilled laborers, better policies are needed because the Temporary Foreign Workers (TFW) program, which remains a critical source of low-skilled labour, is just a provisional solution to a chronic issue, the study said.

Many of these TFWs who develop skills essential to seeding and harvests, must return to their home countries for short periods, and if they cannot return to Canada, the country’s on-farm workforce is dramatically reduced.

RBC researchers said that a pathway to permanent residency for experienced TFWs will immediately address this type of shortage.

Canada started an agriculture-specific immigration pilot program in 2020 to give a path to permanent residency for non-seasonal workers with experience, which is set to end in May 2023.

As of February 2023, more than 1,500 people have been admitted through the program in Ottawa province.

A department spokesperson told that they are assessing the pilot program “and the possible extension beyond its scheduled expiry”.

The spokesperson added that giving migrants permanent residence “is not the solution to labour shortages”.

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