It is getting harder for farm owners and operators to find employees. It is anticipated that unless something changes, there will be a shortage of 65,000 workers in the ag-related sector by 2025. Already, most agricultural sectors are seeing an average employment gap of about 25%.
Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council (CAHRC), the Future Skills Centre (FSC), the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, and Food and Beverage Canada have teamed up to create initiatives that may help attract more people into the sector.
The National Workforce Strategic Plan for Agriculture and Food and Beverage Manufacturing project is:
Gathering information about programs and services developed by industry, governments and educational stakeholders to mitigate workforce challenges;
Identifying information gaps and recommending new programs and tools developed to address these gaps;
Promoting existing programs and services;
Engaging industry associations, business owners, governments, and educational stakeholders in extensive consultations to build on existing work; and
Developing new tools based on recommendations by the industry.
Results from this initiative have not been released yet, but some promising work is being done to maximize efficiency and incorporate automation into the farming industry.
But what can be done now?
Many experts suggest that farmers should consider investing in new or alternative equipment. Though it can be costly, technology has evolved greatly in the past few years. An automatic cow milker comes with a hefty price tag but may save thousands, if not more, in the long run.
Changing the crop type is another suggestion that is easier said than done, especially if one’s identity is tied with the type of food they grow. But looking into more sustainable crops or crops that require much less hands-on work could be a game changer. Once more, it may require a higher upfront bill but will pay off if the unemployment gap trend continues. There is also no rule that all the crops should be switched at the same time. It can be done in a peameal fashion over many years.
You can try to offer incentives to current and new workers. Paying a better salary or giving better benefits can go a long way to attracting talent. You can also give bonuses based on output or perhaps think of offering a bonus to employees who bring in friends to work for you as long as they remain employed for x amount of time.
Consider working with Temporary Foreign Workers (TFW) or other seasonal employees. It may not be easy to attract people year-round, but if you look into the government programs designed to attract people from elsewhere to work in the agriculture industry, you may be able to fill those employment gaps. Remember that there are strict rules and standards, and they must be paid the same wages as any other.
