Minister Bibeau highlights actions to attract workers to Canada’s agri-food sector

Leamington, Ontario – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada - Canada is committed to attracting the best talent from around the world to fill labour and skills shortages, drive local economies, and create and support middle-class jobs in communities across the country that will benefit all Canadians.

 

The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, met with stakeholders at the Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers (OGVG) to highlight a new three-year economic immigration pilot that aims to attract and retain experienced, non-seasonal workers by providing them with an opportunity to become permanent residents.

 

The immigration pilot, announced on July 12 by the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, will test a new, industry-specific approach to help address the labour needs of the agri-food sector, particularly in meat processing, mushroom production and greenhouse crop production. Addressing these labour market needs will help key industries in Canada’s specialized agri-food sector grow, and help meet Canada’s ambitious export targets.

 

Over the past several years, a number of these industries have experienced ongoing difficulty in finding and keeping new employees for year-round positions. As part of the Minister’s visit to the Leamington area, she also toured Vine Fresh Acres Ltd, an innovative high-wire cucumber producer, and Highline Mushrooms, the largest mushroom grower in Canada.

 

Employers in the agri-food sector who intend to be part of the pilot, or other existing pathways to permanent residence for foreign workers in the same occupations and industries, will be eligible for a two-year Labour Market Impact Assessment.

 

Temporary foreign workers will be able to apply under this pilot in early 2020. A maximum of 2,750 principal applicants, plus family members, will be accepted for processing in any given year. This represents a total of approximately 16,500 possible new permanent residents over the three-year duration of the pilot.

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