March 9, 2010, Guelph, Ont. – The Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council (CAHRC) will hold a regional forum in Guelph on Thursday (March 11). Participants will examine best practices so that agriculture producers can attract a qualified and motivated workforce that is sufficient to sustain profitable agriculture in Canada. The forum will be held at the Delta Hotel and Conference Centre.

Additional forums are planned across the country.

CAHRC’s Labour Market Information on Recruitment and Retention Research Report, published in June 2009, revealed that primary agricultural producers across the Country will require an additional 50,000 non-seasonal and 38,000 seasonal workers by the year 2013. The research also suggests that future employment needs vary by geographic region, by commodity and by occupation.

Participants will have the opportunity to interact with experts in the areas of employment and skills development within the field of primary agriculture in Ontario.

Led by industry and funded by the federal government’s Sector Council Program, the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council was created in 2006 to address primary agriculture’s most pressing challenges related to the recruitment and retention of farm labour and skills training for employers and employees. The work of the Council is guided by a board of directors that represents provincial and commodity groups across Canada.