Farmers increasingly desperate as Canada struggles to attract migrant workers

Farmers increasingly desperate as Canada struggles to attract migrant workers

Canada traditionally rolls out the welcome mat for seasonal workers to help on the country’s farms. Now it can’t find enough willing to make the journey.

There is scant local interest in farmwork, so Canada’s agriculture sector relies on nearly 60,000 foreign workers to make the journey north each year from countries like Mexico, Jamaica and Guatemala. This year, however, some migrant labourers are deciding to stay home to protect themselves from the coronavirus, resulting in a dearth in essential foreign labour.
That leaves Canadian farmers desperate to fill a shortage of workers, despite facing the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. It’s an issue that’s quickly become politicized, with the federal government forced to step in and opposition politicians calling for coronavirus aid programs intended for students and the unemployed to be tied to working in the fields.

Farmers increasingly desperate as Canada struggles to attract migrant workers