* Skip to main content * Skip to "About this site" Language selection * Français Symbol of Statistics Canada Government of Canada, Statistics Canada Search and menus * Search and menus Search Search website ___________________________ (BUTTON) Search Topics menu * Subjects * Data * Analysis * Reference * Geography * Census * Surveys and statistical programs * About StatCan * Canada.ca 1. Home 2. 45-28-0001 3. Main page 4. COVID-19 Disruptions and Agriculture: Temporary Foreign Workers Logo StatCan COVID-19: Data to Insights for a Better Canada COVID-19 Disruptions and Agriculture: Temporary Foreign Workers Release date: April 17, 2020 COVID-19: A data perspective More information PDF version Text begins Key insights * Canada’s agriculture sector is a significant source and contributor to the food supply chain in Canada. * The agriculture sector is highly dependent on temporary foreign workers (TFW’s). TFW’s account for 20% of total employment in this sector, with a particularly high dependency in the horticulture industry (e.g. fruits, vegetables, greenhouse and nursery operations). * Border restrictions due to COVID-19 could have an impact on the availability of temporary foreign workers during the 2020 growing season, with this decrease in labour potentially impacting Canada’s domestic food production. Agriculture and Temporary Foreign Workers Canada’s agriculture industry is a significant source and contributor to our nation’s food supply. Farm cash receipts from the primary agriculture sector amounted to $62.4 billion in 2018, of which $8.4 billion was realized in the horticulture industry - which includes fruits and vegetables and greenhouse operations. As significant as the agriculture sector is to Canada’s food supply, it is inherently vulnerable due to the seasonality of production, especially in crop production and horticulture; as well as the perishable nature of many products. Seasonal labour is required for production, at very specific times of year, especially during planting in the spring, and harvesting in the summer and fall. This sector is particularly dependent on the Temporary Foreign Worker Program and the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program. In the context of COVID-19, border restrictions are heightening vulnerabilities related to accessing this workforce and could put Canada’s domestic food production, especially horticulture crops, at risk. Temporary Foreign Workers are critical to the agriculture sector and have been steadily increasing in Canada over the past twenty years. In 2018, there were nearly 55,000 jobs filled by temporary foreign workers in Canada’s agriculture industry and these accounted for 20 per cent of total employment in the primary agriculture sector. Although, temporary foreign workers in 2018 came from nearly 100 countries, the majority came from Mexico (51%); Guatemala (20%) and Jamaica (18%). Although various aspects of the sector depend on TFW, 84.9% of the jobs filled by TFWs were on 2,393 horticulture farms and 68.4% of these jobs were on large farms with gross receipts of $2 million or more. Horticulture farms include Vegetable and melon, Fruit and tree nut and Greenhouse, nursery and floriculture. Tables 1 and 2 below indicate the degree of vulnerability to labour shortages in the agriculture sector by farm type and by province, respectively.  CAPTION: Table 1 Jobs filled by TFWs in the agriculture sector, and farms with at least one TFW, by farm type, 2018 Table summary This table displays the results of Jobs filled by TFWs in the agriculture sector Farms with at least one TFW, Jobs filled by TFW and Share of jobs filled by TFW among jobs of all employees, calculated using number and percent units of measure (appearing as column headers). Farms with at least one TFW Jobs filled by TFW Share of jobs filled by TFW among jobs of all employees^Table 1 Note 1 number percent All farm types 3,846 54,734 19.5 Cattle ranching and farming, including dairy 501 1,548 3.2 Hog and pig farming 134 496 5.3 Poultry and egg production 83 446 3.6 Other/mixed animal production 133 784 5.5 Oilseed and grain farming 220 1,089 2.1 Vegetable and melon farming 693 13,210 39.8 Fruit and tree nut farming 1,021 14,848 36.9 Greenhouse, nursery and floriculture production 679 18,389 35.0 Other/mixed crop farming 382 3,924 20.7 Note 1 Proportion of temporary foreign workers in 2018 was compared to the total number of agriculture employees from the 2016 Census of Agriculture. The 2018 estimates for the total number of agriculture employees will be released soon. Return to note 1 referrer Source: Statistics Canada (2020). Temporary Foreign Workers File, 2018. Excludes Territories.  CAPTION: Table 2 Jobs filled by TFWs in the agriculture sector, and farms with at least one temporary foreign worker, by province, 2018 Table summary This table displays the results of Jobs filled by TFWs in the agriculture sector Farms with at least one TFWs, Jobs filled by TFWs and Share of jobs filled by TFWs among jobs of all employees, calculated using number and percent units of measure (appearing as column headers). Farms with at least one TFWs Jobs filled by TFWs Share of jobs filled by TFWs among jobs of all employees^Table 2 Note 1 number percent Canada 3,846 54,734 19.5 Newfoundland and Labrador 7 34 2.8 Prince Edward Island 35 285 6.7 Nova Scotia 73 1,566 19.7 New Brunswick 15 145 2.3 Quebec 1,259 14,653 26.2 Ontario 1,328 25,611 31.2 Manitoba 67 579 3.1 Saskatchewan 103 447 1.7 Alberta 252 1,900 5.7 British Columbia 707 9,514 21.4 Note 1 Proportion of temporary foreign workers in 2018 was compared to the total number of agriculture employees from the 2016 Census of Agriculture. The 2018 estimates for the total number of agriculture employees will be released soon. Return to note 1 referrer Source: Statistics Canada (2020). Temporary Foreign Workers File, 2018. Excludes Territories. Related material Canadian Agriculture at a glance Farm cash receipts, January to September 2019 Farm income, 2018 (revised data) Agricultural sector workers from the Temporary Foreign Workers Program, 2016, 2017 and 2018 Agricultural sector workers from the Temporary Foreign Workers Program, 2015 More information Note of appreciation Canada owes the success of its statistical system to a long-standing partnership between Statistics Canada, the citizens of Canada, its businesses, governments and other institutions. Accurate and timely statistical information could not be produced without their continued co-operation and goodwill. Standards of service to the public Statistics Canada is committed to serving its clients in a prompt, reliable and courteous manner. To this end, the Agency has developed standards of service which its employees observe in serving its clients. Copyright Published by authority of the Minister responsible for Statistics Canada. © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada as represented by the Minister of Industry, 2020 All rights reserved. Use of this publication is governed by the Statistics Canada Open Licence Agreement. Catalogue no. 45-28-0001 Frequency: Occasional Ottawa close Report a problem on this page Is something not working? Is there information outdated? Can't find what you're looking for? Please contact us and let us know how we can help you. Privacy notice Date modified: 2020-04-20 About government * Contact us * Departments and agencies * Public service and military * News * Treaties, laws and regulations * Government-wide reporting * Prime Minister * How government works * Open government About this site * Social media * Mobile applications * About Canada.ca * Terms and conditions * Privacy Top of Page Symbol of the Government of Canada Government of Canada