December 2, 2021

Canadian beef processor affected by worker shortage

Atlantic Beef Products in Albany has plans for an expansion that could require more workers, even while it is currently facing a worker shortage and production shortfall, CBC reported.

"Our weekly harvest of cattle has gone probably from around 750 a week to probably somewhere around 650 a week over the last six or seven months," said company president Russ Mallard.

The company has been relying on other countries with larger meat packing industries to provide skilled workers, but COVID-19 travel restrictions have made those workers harder to come by.

While Mallard said his company is doing its best to find as many local people as possible, "(n)ot all of them, most of them, as a matter of fact, don't have any particular experience in meat processing."

Mallard added that changes to Canada's immigration programme have made earning permanent resident status in Atlantic Canada more difficult.

The challenges also come at a time when beef prices are increasing in response to growing international demand for Canadian beef, he said.