As shortage of farmers looms, B.C. farm operators ask for more support

Farmers in B.C. say they're unsurprised by a recent report that found 40 per cent of farm operators across Canada will retire over the next decade, and that more needs to be done to help the industry.

A report from the Royal Bank of Canada, Boston Consulting Group and researchers from the University of Guelph found that, by 2033, a shortfall of over 24,000 farm workers is expected across the country.

Those in B.C.'s $4.8-billion farming industry say more needs to be done at all levels — including the federal and provincial governments — when it comes to climate-proofing and land management policies as the industry adapts to the demographic shift.

The research, which looked at data from Statistics Canada and the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD), found that Canada had a significant shortage of agricultural workers compared to its Western counterparts.

According to the report's authors, Canada needs to build a "new pipeline" of domestic farm operators by increasing research spending and bolstering education efforts within schools.

"In today's world, it's about the dollars, it's about the cost of living, it's about the diesel for the tractor, it's about the fertilizer, the environment, the weather," said Bill Zylmans, a 65-year-old farmer with properties across Richmond and Delta. "Where is the security to develop and have your family on the farm?

"There's a huge amount of new things that come into play that we never used to even think about."

Zylmans has been farming all his life, and told his father in the mid-'70s, when he came out of school, that the family had to "go big or go home."

Since then, his operations grew to over 500 acres. But now, his children don't want to continue the farm operations — so he's had to think about downsizing.

"I was in a runaway truck going down the highway thinking everything was going great to find out that, somehow, this dream has to take a different turn."

Zylmans is now diversifying his operations and working with younger farmers, which he acknowledges is challenging given the norms of today's workforce.

"In today's world, I think we're finding that we want a quick response, we want a quick achievement. We don't want to go for the long run to have the payoff."

Many farmers don't have succession plans: report

According to the report's authors, 66 per cent of current farm producers do not have a succession plan in place once they retire, leading to concerns over who will take over Canada's farmlands going forward.

"You get so busy with the day-to-day, it's hard to think about the future, the next generation," said Paul Pryce, director of policy at the B.C. Agriculture Council.

"We do know, anecdotally, from the relationship that we have with producers, that generational farming is in decline."

Pryce says the spiking cost of living — especially when it comes to important materials like fertilizers — is taking a toll on prospective farmers and those currently in the industry, as well as the cost of farmland in the province.

"Farmers are oftentimes locked into long-term contracts with retailers for example and so can't pass on these costs further down the value chain," he said.

Pryce also says the issue of water security is a big one for farmers, especially in a province that has seen significant drought and devastating floods over the last few years.

More farmers from overseas needed: researcher

Pryce argues that farmers need to have more input on water security measures like dams and dykes, as well as more government support when it came to finding labour.

Much of Canada's farm industry is driven by immigrant labour. According to Mohamad Yaghi, author of the RBC report, the government needs to provide farm workers with a pathway to permanent residency to make up the looming shortfall of farm workers, arguing that 30,000 permanent residents in the industry are needed by 2033.

"We're seeing a lot of countries in the EU, for instance, placing more stringent sustainability regulations on farms, and we see there's an opportunity to snatch really skilled farmers from that base right now," he said.

Yaghi also says universities in Canada, especially those which offer MBA programs, need to include electives in agriculture to expose more students to the farming industry.

In the long-term, he says investments in automation should be the way forward in order to ensure the sector's sustainability.