Farmers anxious over lack of foreign workers
Less than 50 per cent of the temporary foreign workers expected on Quebec farms have arrived, putting the agriculture industry in a state of uncertainty.
As of Wednesday, 2,900 of the 5,900 workers expected from Guatemala and 5,000 of the 12,000 expected from Mexico for the summer had come in.
“There is anxiety, but not panic,” said Marcel Groleau, president of the Union des producteurs agricoles (UPA). “Until last week, we had hoped that administrative efforts by Immigration Canada would simplify travel from Guatemala and Mexico, but Guatemala closed its borders for a few days last week due to growing number of COVID-19 cases and made it more difficult to travel within the country, making it hard for workers to get to the airport. Before that it was going well.”
In Mexico, a delay for visas of temporary foreign workers is slowing down the process considerably.
“That’s where it gets critical,” Groleau said.
Temporary foreign workers make up the bulk of the workforce of Quebec’s “maraîchers,” or market gardeners.
So far the reduction in staff has led to 15-per-cent less lettuce and other vegetables being planted, according to Groleau, who says it’s too soon to know how it will affect the amount of produce that makes it onto shelves
“If the yield is big and the weather co-operates, it will likely have no impact, but if the weather conditions become difficult, it could diminish supply.”
A $50-million aid package from the federal government to help quarantine temporary foreign workers upon arrival won’t help them get here, unfortunately.
Jocelyn St-denis, director of the Association des producteurs maraîchers du Québec, says the farms in his organization are not expecting to receive all 16,000 temporary foreign workers needed by the end of June.
The Legault government’s $100 weekly bonus for Quebecers working on farms has attracted approximately 5,000 people, who filled out the forms to do so. But only about 300 of those have been put to work so far and St-denis doesn’t see it as a long-term solution.
“Local workers don’t work as long or as hard and only produce about 50 per cent of what foreign workers can,” he said. “The foreigners are used to the work, they come back to the same employer, year after year; they know what has to be done. They’re like pro athletes compared to locals who have to be trained and learn the dexterity.”
A reduction in the workforce won’t affect vegetables that are farmed mechanically, such as potatoes, beets and onions, but may reduce the amount of broccoli, lettuce, tomatoes, peppers or cabbage grown, according to St-denis.
But even if supply is affected, it won’t necessarily be felt in Quebec.
“It could lead to a reduction in exports,” St-denis said. “That choice will be made by each farmer, depending on exchange rates and other variables in the market.”
Sylvain Terrault is president of Les serres Mirabel, which grows hothouse vegetables, including Boston lettuce, organic peppers, cucumbers and mini cukes. The company also grows and sells seedlings for broccoli, celery, lettuce and other vegetables to 65 per cent of Quebec’s market gardeners.
There are currently more than 200 temporary workers from Guatemala and Mexico at Mirabel’s three hothouse locations, making it one of the lucky ones. Because the hothouse season begins earlier than outdoor farming, many of Terrault’s workers made it here before the COVID-19 lockdown started impeding the process.
But Mirabel is awaiting the arrival of another 50 workers to replace others who are leaving — and Terrault is not hopeful.
“They’re not even on the list (of workers scheduled to arrive),” he said.