Have you given any thought to pursuing a career in the agricultural industry? Probably not, and it’s likely that you wouldn’t even be able to tell me where you’d begin looking for work in agriculture in Canada if you tried. There is a lot to think about because farm employment in Canada have the potential to be quite lucrative and also provide a lot of personal satisfaction.
When you think of agriculture or agricultural work in Canada, you probably image things like tractors, animals, fields that stretch as far as the eye can see, and long hours spent working for a relatively low wage. On the other hand, this is an inaccurate and out-of-date representation of what a career in farm jobs in Canada looks like today.
Job Position: Agriculture Worker
Job Location: 4219 Highway 97Oliver, BC V0H 1T1
Company: Bhupinder Singh Karwasra
Salary: $17.40 Hourly
Job type: Full Time
Working Hours: 40 Hours a week
The numbers don’t lie: Canada has a lot of farming jobs.
According to the World Bank’s collection of development indicators, which were assembled from officially recognized sources, the percentage of people employed in agriculture jobs in Canada was reported to be 1.954 percent in the year 2017.
There is no dispute that the agricultural sector in Canada needs to expand in order to assist in the feeding of a growing population both in the country and around the world. Businesses across the nation are in dire need of talented and hardworking personnel as a result of the aforementioned reality, as well as the fact that the labor force is decreasing as a result of an increasing number of retirements and that there are not enough young farmers to take their place.
Why should one consider a career in agriculture in Canada?
Now that we’ve demonstrated that the chance is available, it’s practically pleading with you to take advantage of it. But why exactly should you be considering a career in the agricultural industry? The list is lengthy, but let’s focus on a few of the most important points for now.
- Have an effect on the world by working on a farm in Canada.
Agriculture is one of the few sectors, if not the only industry, that has a greater influence on both people and the environment. Working in the sector places you at the forefront of efforts to feed, clothe, and fuel the planet.
- Agriculture jobs in Canada: Lifestyle
If you like to spend your days behind a desk, there are a multitude of opportunities available to you in the agricultural industry. On the other hand, if the idea of spending your days outside and interacting with all types of animals and machines appeals to you, then there is no need to search any further. Your ability to maintain a healthy work-life balance will be severely tested by activities such as snowmobiling in the winter and water skiing and fruit picking in the summer.
- Agriculture jobs in Canada mean competitive compensation
Careers in many agricultural areas offer incomes that are comparable to those in other industries, which means that you can enjoy a nice lifestyle while still earning a great salary if you choose one of these careers.
- Some of the Benefits of Working on a Canadian Farm
Many enterprises in the agricultural sector provide the same benefits that are offered by the most successful start-ups in the technology sector. You like free meals? What about a vehicle that is paid for by the firm or accommodations that are included? You have access to all of them and a great deal more too.
If you are moving to Canada, you might want to consider working on a farm.
I really hope that, by this point, the prospects of working in agriculture in Canada have piqued your interest. But let’s say you now reside in another area of the world, but you’re interested in finding work in Canada. To everyone’s good fortune, the government of Canada has simplified the application process for work visas and made it simpler for permanent residents to remain in the country permanently.
There are a lot of different programs available for you to pick from. International Experience Canada (IEC) is devoted to people who want to live in Canada for a year or two (this is dependent on the country you are originally from), through special Global Talent Stream programs dedicated to IT professionals in all industries including agriculture, to Provincial Nominee Programs leading to Permanent Status. These programs are offered to people who want to live in Canada for a year or two (this is dependent on the country you are originally from).
Agriculture Jobs in Canada for foreigner
In addition to this, if you have the appropriate professional education, work experience in Canada or elsewhere, and the ability to communicate in English or French, you may be eligible to apply for Canadian permanent residency through the Express Entry system. This will allow you to participate in one of the programs, such as the Federal Skilled Workers Class (FSWC), the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), or the Federal Skilled Trades Class (FSTC), depending on your qualifications.
IMPORTANT: Securing employment in Canada is an essential component of all of these programs in some capacity. Find a job today by making use of a resource such as WorkHorseHub.ca. It has never been simpler to get work in agriculture in Canada; thus, now is the time to sign up.
How to Get a Job on a Farm in Canada and Where to Look
Province of British Columbia
The months of July through October are peak harvest months for fruit in the Kootenay and Okanagan Valleys of British Columbia, Canada, which are located on the west coast of the country.
As a result, beginning in the beginning of April, there are preparations that need to be done before the harvest. There is a chance that you could get a permanent position if you are capable, conscientious, and proactive in your job.
You may become eligible for permanent residency in the United States under the Agri-food Pilot Program if you are able to secure a permanent job on a farm. Unfortunately, due to the global epidemic, this new immigration program that was introduced in May of 2020 has not been able to reach its full potential yet.
Despite this, the harvest of 2021 is not far off, which means that a large number of employment opportunities in agriculture will become available in Canada. The Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) office will be keen to fill all of the available spaces for permanent residency as swiftly as is humanly possible.
Under the auspices of the Agri-food Pilot Program, it will be possible for your loved ones to relocate to Canada with you. The following list provides occupation categories along with the amount of available applicant slots:
Your prospective earnings will be different every day, depending not just on the farm or ranch you are working on, but also on the number of hours you put in each day, as well as how productive you are overall.
As a result, the daily wage for harvesters and pickers ranges from $50 to $185. Fruit picking is paid on a piecework basis; nevertheless, you must take extreme caution to treat fruits with care at all times because you will not be paid for damaged fruit and may even be fined for it.
Ontario
In Ontario, there are a large number of permanent and seasonal job possibilities available for farmworkers, particularly during the spring and summer months.
Additionally, practically all of Canada’s greenhouse vegetable production is located in the province of Ontario, which accounts for two thirds of the country’s total production.
Additionally, as was said previously in the Agri-food pilot program, workers in the food processing industry are highly most sought after and have made it onto a list compiled by the IRCC as one of the most in-demand semi-skilled level employment roles in Canada. This is because of the high need for food processing workers.
Common greenhouse crops like carrots, mushrooms, sweetcorn, green peas, and tomatoes are available virtually all year round and require continuous human hands. Greenhouses also require a constant supply of laborers.
Some crops have even been forced to shrink over the past five years due to the simple fact that there are not enough labor hands and the necessary processing facilities; this is something that the IRCC is attempting to fix by assisting foreign food processing workers who have permanent job offers to become permanent residents of Canada. Some crops have even been forced to shrink because of the simple fact that there are not enough labor hands and the necessary processing facilities.
Alberta
The Canadian Rocky Mountains run along the entire eastern edge of the Albertan province, and as you travel westward, they give way to flat grassland land. The prairie is located on the other side of the mountains. The province is able to have a significantly greater agricultural diversity as a direct result of its alternating landscape.
As a result, there are jobs available for farm managers, supervisors, grazers, herders, and feed truck operators, as well as a number of other occupations that are in demand within the livestock farming industry.
How to Make a Living Working the Land in Canada
What should one do initially to increase their chances of receiving a job offer in Canada? The first step is to establish some sort of presence in the Canadian labor market; once you’ve done that, you can start gathering the various kinds of important work experience that are required. It is possible for you to start your search for a job in Canada by visiting prominent employment sites such as Jobbankcanada.com and Canadagovernmentjobs.org.
It is sufficient to consider making use of employment sites that are geared more toward people who are looking for work in other countries as well as those that are expressly designed for people looking for work in agriculture.
Canada JobBank Agriculture Employment Canada
The next step that needs to be taken is to apply for a work visa. You are able to submit an application for an employer-specific work permit once you have received a job offer.
In the event that you are qualified for a work permit and are successful in obtaining one, you will only be allowed to work for the employer that is specified on your permit.
You will, however, be required to submit an application for a new work permit if this is the case. This does not, however, indicate that you will be unable to accept another employment opportunity when the existing one comes to an end.
If you have chosen that you want to make Canada your permanent home and there is no scarcity of jobs in Canada, especially for farmworkers, and there are numerous methods that you can come to Canada as a farmworker, you should consider doing so.
Are you more thinking along the lines of taking a trip throughout Canada this summer while working seasonal or temporary jobs to assist cover your expenses? If you thought of the IEC as a working holiday visa, it might make things easier for you.
This one-of-a-kind program is open to people between the ages of 18 and 35, and it provides successful applicants with an open work permit for temporary occupations, with a maximum validity period of two years. Under this scheme, however, you are not permitted to have any dependents of your own.
Are You Interested in Working in Canada?
The year 2021 will bring a wealth of options for international farm workers who are interested in beginning a new life or gaining valuable job experience in Canada. As was just discussed, there are a significant number of job-hunting websites available, on which one can locate the most desirable agricultural employment opportunities in Canada in 2021.
You and any dependents you have, after getting some good job experience, will have the opportunity to become permanent residents of Canada. This is a significant thing that will occur, and it is one of the most important things that will happen.
- The agricultural sector in Canada is faced with a particular set of workforce issues, including the following:
- The agricultural industry in Canada has the second-highest turnover rate of any sector in the country; in 2014, the estimated voluntary turnover rate was 18.3%, which was more than twice as high as the average voluntary turnover rate of 7.3% seen across all industries in Canada.
- Issues such as seasonality and variableness in hours, the rural siting of many agricultural operations, high competition with other sectors for workers, the physically demanding and mostly manual nature of the work, and a lack of workers with the appropriate skill set and experience are some of the factors that contribute to the inability to recruit and retain workers. Other factors include the rural siting of many agricultural operations.
- It is projected that the size of the agricultural labor in Canada will decrease in the near future because Canada has an older-than-average agricultural workforce. It is anticipated that 93,000 workers, which accounts for 27% of the total workforce, will retire between the years 2014 and 2025.
- The Agriculture Industry in Canada Is Facing a Growing Labor Shortage
- From 2014 to 2025, it is anticipated that almost all provinces, with the exception of Alberta and Saskatchewan, would experience a decline in the number of young people. During this same time period, it is anticipated that at least 300 fewer young employees will enter the agricultural workforce each year.
The task is considerable, and as a result, it calls for an effort that is both directed and coordinated on the part of government ministries, agricultural employers, educational institutions, sector councils, and other relevant organizations.
stakeholders.
Principal Problem Areas, as Identified by Stakeholders in the Industry
Through the implementation of the Workforce Action Plan, the following suggestions were developed:
- Employers are able to meet the labor requirements of very seasonal businesses if there is an improvement in availability to overseas employees to augment the shrinking local workforce.
- Increase the number of Canadian citizens who want to work in agriculture by publicizing the diverse range of agricultural positions that are available across the country and making it clear to people who are looking for work, students, and teachers what career paths are accessible to them.
- A coordinated set of career development and training resources aimed at job seekers, students, and educators should be used to raise more people’s knowledge of agricultural career opportunities, as well as to improve recruiting and retention efforts.
- Enhance the availability of learning alternatives and make them easier for workers to access in order to improve their knowledge and skills, particularly in rural and remote areas, which is where the majority of agricultural enterprises are located.
- Ensure that students of today will be able to meet the demands of tomorrow by aligning the resources for training with the needs of the workplace. This will encourage continual improvement and provide requirements for on-the-job training.
- In addition to the necessary training, technical and knowledge support should be offered to managers and supervisors. This will help improve recruitment, employment, and retention efforts, which will ultimately lead to an improvement in the human resource management of the sector.
- As of the year 2014, the agricultural sector in Canada was unable to fill 26,400 jobs, despite the fact that it employed 2.3 million Canadians in the same year. This resulted in a loss of an estimated $1.5 billion, which corresponds to a shortfall of 2.7% of sales. According to the report, the following types of agricultural producers make up the 41% of those who were unable to locate sufficient workers:
- 56% of the times there were manufacturing delays
- 55% incurred production losses
- 46% experienced lost revenues
- As a result, without the assistance of foreign workers, 59,000 jobs, which is comparable to 7% of the whole workforce, would be at risk. However, by the year 2025, the agricultural sector would have 114,000 more job openings than the existing domestic labor force is capable of filling.
Conclusion
In conclusion, if you are interested in pursuing a career in agriculture, there are a multitude of incredible options open to you all around Canada. If you want to obtain a career in the industry, you should investigate all of your alternatives and carefully investigate the various states, provinces, and areas. You won’t have any trouble finding the perfect work for you because there are so many options.