SEEDS OF GROWTH | GLEN LUCAS
Creating an Improved Framework for Farm Labour However, post-2019 issues have emerged that complicated the supply-demand balance for labour: Increasing intervention of government agencies has led to regulatory burdens and delays.
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orticultural farm operations in the Okanagan are labour intensive, but the supply of domestic labour for agriculture (e.g. the number of Canadian farm workers) is in long-term decline due to demographic and other economic reasons. At the same time the acreage of the most labour intensive crop - cherries - is growing. Grape acreage is also growing. Although apple acreage is falling, by about 15% over the past three years, overall demand for agricultural labour is increasing in the Okanagan. A labour strategy will address the imbalance between labour supply and demand. Prior to the introduction of the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program in 2008, labour shortages were emerging in the Okanagan horticulture sector. With the ability to bring in temporary foreign workers from Mexico and the Caribbean, labour supply came into balance between 2008 to 2019.
A new government in Mexico and other challenges has led to a pause in the growth of workers supplied by the Mexican SAWP program at about 3,500 workers in the Okanagan, though the Caribbean program (while starting from a smaller base) has grown over 50% in two years to 1,500 workers. It is important to note that these trends are not matched in other provinces, and one difference is the location of the Jamaican Liaison Service in Kelowna. In fact, essentially all Caribbean workers in BC are located in the Okanagan, whereas only onehalf of the Mexican workers in BC are located in the Okanagan. A lack of direct flights from the Caribbean to Kelowna is creating problems under COVID-19. COVID-19 travel restrictions and other requirements, and many related issues, led to an arrival rate of 80 to 90% of those workers requested and approved in LMIAs. Though this is a reduction in available workers, the outcome could have been
The BC Fruit Growers’ Association supports research projects for the tree fruit sector by: 1. direct contributions to projects, 2. participating in the national research cluster, and 3. planning for participation in the new Agriculture Climate Solutions program
much worse without extreme effort by agriculture organizations and governments. A key part of protecting workers from COVID-19 infection was the two week centralized quarantine provided by the province. Additionally, an inspection of housing to review adoption of COVID-19 protocols on farms was carried out by BCMAFF. COVID-19 travel restrictions halted the International Experience Program (work visas for Australian and Eastern European youth tourists, or ‘backpackers’) in 2020 and greatly restricted the program in 2021. The usual 300-500 IEP backpackers were not available in 2020 and 2021. COVID-19 travel restrictions, government wage assistance programs, and increased competition from at-home Quebec employers reduced the number of Quebecoise youth backpackers. It is estimated that the number of Quebec youth backpackers was reduced from about 1,000 to 500 for 2020 and 2021. The same rationale for reduced numbers also applies to local workers in 2020 and 2021, where the shortfall is also estimated to be reduced from 1,000 to 500. Taken together, the shortfall in the number of seasonal work-
ers in the Okanagan dropped by 1,600, or 30.4% of the total seasonal agricultural workforce of 6,900. Offsetting this drop in labour supply were crop shortfalls that occurred because of frost damage to the 2020 cherry crop and heat damage to the 2020 cherry crop, with reductions of about 25% in the crop size. Apple volumes were not as affected by weather, but apple acreage has reduced by 15% over the past four years. Grapes and apples can have longer harvest windows than cherries, where harvest and post-harvest movement of the cherry crop is much more time- and labour-sensitive. Overall labour supply was inadequate but disaster was averted by reduced crops in 2020 and 2021. Some crops were abandoned or downgraded due to extended harvest caused by short labour supply. For the immediate future, a key action identified is an estimate of normal harvest labour requirements, an estimate of the 2021/2022 winter frost impact on yields and an adjusted labour requirement for 2022. A longer-term projection of harvest labour needs should be developed and the estimate updated as needed using the
Did you know? BCFGA supports research projects including: • Peach thinning • Post harvest storage • Optimized netting systems for low pesticide inputs • Monitoring pests including Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, Apple Clearwing Moth, Eye Spotted Bud Moth, including the development of Degree Day Models
BC Fruit Growers’ Association • 1-800-619-9022 • info@bcfga.com • www.bcfga.com Pre Spring 2022
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