By Alice McFarlane

Agriculture Roundup for Tuesday April 6, 2021

Apr 6, 2021 | 9:36 AM

MELFORT, Sask. — New research shows Canadian farmers suffered lost earnings of $2.9 billion in 2020 due to labour shortages as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council (CAHRC) completed a nationwide survey of producers.

CAHRC executive director Portia MacDonald-Dewhirst said the losses are equivalent to 4.2 per cent of the sector’s total sales.

“This research emphasizes the importance of understanding how COVID-19 has affected the agriculture workforce,” she said in a news release. “The agricultural industry has the potential to grow strongly in the coming years, and could, if labour constraints are addressed, lead the Canadian economy to recover, post-pandemic.”

According to the report, two in five employers surveyed were not able to find all the workers that they needed. Of these, 60 per cent experienced productions delay and lost sales.

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MacDonald-Dewhirst said the sector needs to work together to develop long-term solutions to the critical labour shortages in agriculture.

She said this includes the development of strategies to attract, educate and retain Canadian workers and streamline the entry of temporary foreign workers and give them a pathway to permanent residency if they want it.

Seventy per cent of employers also reported fewer Canadian job applicants.

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Manitoba Egg Farmers said it was devastated to hear about five hens found alive at the Brady Landfill in Winnipeg.

The industry group said chickens and hens are euthanized by trained professionals once they are about a year-and-a-half old because their egg quality deteriorates.

It said it is following up with all the parties involved to enforce animal welfare protocols.

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alice.mcfarlane@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @farmnewsNOW