More jobs than applicants in agriculture

Friday, February 3, 2012

by DAVE PINK

There are more jobs in the agriculture and food industry than qualified applicants to fill them, according to a report released by the University of Guelph this week.

The study was based on a survey of 100 agri-food organizations conducted by JRG Consulting Group in Guelph.

“The agri-food sector has emerged as the single most important economic driver in the province,” Rene Van Acker, an associate dean at the Ontario College of Agriculture, said in a university news release.

Ontario has the most diverse agri-food industry in Canada, producing some 200 different commodities, and has the nation’s largest food processing industry, with more than 3,000 companies. Overall, the agriculture and food industry contributes more than $33 billion annually to the Ontario economy, and sustains more than 200,000 jobs. BF