By Alice McFarlane

Agriculture Roundup for Monday April 10, 2023

Apr 10, 2023 | 10:12 AM

A new report said more than 40 per cent of farm operators will retire over the next decade, leaving Canada with a shortage.

The report from the RBC, Boston Consulting Group Centre for Canada’s Future and Arrell Food Institute at the University of Guelph said the country will be short 24,000 general farm, nursery, and greenhouse operators.

It also estimated that 66 per cent of producers do not have a succession plan in place.

To address the shortage and lack of succession plans, the report said Canada will need to accept 30,000 permanent immigrants by 2033 to take over existing farms and greenhouses or establish their own.

It also recommended the country build a new pipeline of domestic operators and workers by bolstering agriculture education and increasing spending on automation, which can make existing farms more efficient.

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The report added the shortage will come at a critical moment because Canada’s agricultural sector will need to produce significantly more food for a growing world population but must also cut emissions to meet climate targets.

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Britain’s envoy to Canada said an uproar in the Prairies over an expanded trade deal could be overcome by ranchers rejigging their beef operations to meet U.K. standards.

In an interview, British High Commissioner to Canada Susannah Goshko said Brits don’t want their government to budge on barring imports of beef raised with certain hormones.

But groups like the Canadian Cattle Association said that concern isn’t based in science and that the U.K. is already exporting far more beef to Canada than trade in the other direction.

The industry wants Canada to block Britain’s entry to a massive Pacific Rim trade bloc and halt the ongoing negotiations for a separate U.K.-Canada trade deal until the Brits change their stance.

Goshko said the solution might be for Canadian ranchers to instead change their way of raising cows, as the Pacific Rim deal will allow vastly more quantities of Canadian beef to reach Britain.

She added the ongoing trade talks for a bilateral deal can give both countries an edge over the European Union, particularly in green tech and smaller businesses.

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This year’s Canola Week will be held in Calgary.

The three-day event will provide updates on the state of the canola industry in Canada, agronomic issues, new innovations, and the latest research.

The conference will be presented in a hybrid format, allowing attendees to tune in remotely or attend in person.

The event has been held in Saskatoon, Sask. in the past.

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @farmnewsNOW