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By Alice McFarlane

Agriculture Roundup

Agriculture Roundup for Thursday February 20, 2020

Feb 20, 2020 | 10:34 AM

Members of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture are extremely concerned about the effect of ongoing rail blockades on farmers and their animals.

The interruptions come at the tail-end of what has been an incredibly difficult 12 months for Canadian farmers.

The federation said the blockades are hampering the ability of farmers to get their products to port, especially in Western Canada.

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Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland announced study of the deal by a parliamentary committee will wrap-up Feb. 28.

Freeland admitted the government wanted to limit the study of the new deal and get on with a vote to put it into effect.

Both the United States and Mexico have formally ratified the new trade pact.

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There is a warning Canada’s grain and oilseed industry is expected to see one in four jobs go unfilled due to a lack of available workers.

The Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council said this could be devastating to the industry’s growth.

A report said in 2018 alone, the grain and oilseed sector lost $594 million in sales due to labour shortages.

Council executive director Portia MacDonald said this is happening at a time when the global demand for food is rising and Canada has the ability and resources to produce it.

The council estimates by 2029, the labour gap is predicted to reach 10,600 due to retirements and a shrinking domestic workforce.

It noted the industry cannot use the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program or the Agricultural Stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.

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alice.mcfarlane@jpbg.ca

On twitter: @AliceMcF