Farmscape for June 27, 2016

The Canadian Meat Council says the federal government's freeze in further reductions in the number of temporary foreign workers that can be retained by Canadian companies will benefit a limited number of Canadian meat processing plants.
Under changes made in June 2014 to Canada's Temporary Foreign Worker program the number of foreign workers that make up a company's work force was capped at 30 percent, a $1,000 fee was introduced for each program application, the length of stay for foreign workers was cut in half and July 1, 2015 the cap was cut to 20 percent.
A further reduction, scheduled for July 1 of this year, to 10 percent have been shelved but all other requirements remain in effect.
Ron Davidson, the Director of International Trade, Government and Media Relations with the Canadian Meat Council, says the freeze will help but will not provide a long term solution.

Clip-Ron Davidson-Canadian Meat Council:
This will be a very welcome announcement to any company that's presently between 10 percent and 20 percent.
When the announcement of the first changes were made in 2014 anybody above 10 percent was frozen and they couldn't go higher than 10 percent.
So those that are now at 20 percent, or between 10 and 20, will be able to continue for the next year or until there is a change made at the current level of temporary foreign workers.
For those particular companies, it'll be very helpful and most welcome.
It certainly isn't the answer for the industry's need but it will be helpful for some of the companies.

Davidson says, given the costs associated with bringing in a temporary foreign worker, it is far less expensive to hire Canadian workers to fill these positions but it has simply not been possible to recruit enough Canadians willing to accept jobs in the meat processing industry, especially in rural areas.
He says, the hope is that even though we have an interim announcement now, that in the coming months there will be additional changes that into account the reality that exists in the industry.
For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.

       *Farmscape is a presentation of Sask Pork and Manitoba Pork