Canadian meat sector pushes for trade certainty amid labour crunch

With trade negotiations, labour shortages, and food affordability all under the spotlight, Canada’s meat processing sector is navigating a complex operating environment. For an industry that exports roughly half of its beef production and nearly two-thirds of its pork production, international market access remains critical.

In a conversation with RealAgriculture’s Shaun Haney, Kyle Larkin, president and CEO of the Canadian Meat Council (CMC), outlined several of the key issues facing the sector. He noted the importance of maintaining the integrated North American supply chain as discussions around the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement continue.

“We export about 50 per cent of the beef we produce, about 65% of the pork we produce,” Larkin says. “So everything happening in the US, China, Indo-Pacific, in Europe, has a real impact on the sector here in Canada.”

On trade with South American countries through a potential Mercosur agreement, Larkin said the CMC is urging the federal government to protect Canada’s domestic beef industry while allowing access to lean beef trimmings that are used in ground beef production.

Labour remains another major challenge. According to Larkin, many processors are operating below capacity because they cannot find enough workers.

“Most of my members come to me and tell me they're only able to operate at about 70 to 80% capacity because they don't have the people to actually fill these shifts,” he said.

The industry is advocating for a permanent agri-food immigration stream following the expiry of the Agri-Food Pilot program. Larkin added that labour availability is also influencing investment decisions, even as some processors look to expand facilities and increase domestic processing capacity.

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Видео Canadian meat sector pushes for trade certainty amid labour crunch канала RealAgriculture