Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) has announced the closure of seven of its research operations, a decision aligned with the federal government's initiative to reduce the size of the public service. The closures will affect research centres located in Guelph, Ontario, Quebec City, and Lacombe, Alberta, as well as four satellite research farms situated across Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.
To date, approximately 665 positions within the department have been eliminated, with nearly 1,050 employees receiving layoff notices on Thursday. AAFC emphasized in a statement on Friday that, while no immediate site closures are planned, the wind-down of scientific operations will follow a careful decision-making process that could extend up to 12 months. Consequently, the department indicated it is too early to ascertain the full implications for its workforce.
The job cuts within AAFC reflect a larger trend across federal departments, which are facing pressures to identify savings over the next three years while simultaneously focusing on their core mandates. Requests for comments from the research centres in Quebec, Guelph, and Lacombe were not immediately addressed as of Saturday.
Lacombe County expressed significant disappointment regarding the federal government's "sudden" decision to close the Lacombe Research and Development Centre. County Reeve John Ireland stated in a social media post that the research station has been a cornerstone of agricultural advancement in Western Canada for over a century. Ireland highlighted the unique value of the centre, noting, "You cannot easily replicate 119 years of research history, specialized land, and long-term trials elsewhere. Once this site is lost, it’s gone forever."
The closure of the Lacombe centre is expected to impact more than 100 employees and their families, along with industry partners linked to the facility. This research centre specializes in livestock and meat production, aiming to enhance economic stability while reducing the environmental footprint of such operations. It also supports the Canadian fresh meat processing sector in providing safe, high-quality products, predominantly beef and pork.
Meanwhile, the Guelph research centre is focused on research and development initiatives that enhance food safety and value-added food attributes, contributing to a profitable agri-food sector in Canada. The Quebec centre's research is specifically tailored to sustain the agriculture sector in a cold and humid climate, addressing various challenges faced by producers in that region.
In a wider context, multiple unions representing federal public servants have reported that nearly 10,000 of their members received layoff notices in the past week. These job cuts are part of Ottawa's broader strategy to reduce program spending and administrative costs by approximately $60 billion over the next five years. The federal government aims to return the public service workforce to what it considers "a more sustainable level," projecting a reduction of around 40,000 jobs from a peak of 368,000 in the fiscal year 2023-24.
The recent federal budget detailed plans to restructure operations and consolidate internal services to achieve these savings. The Public Service Alliance of Canada reported that over 5,000 of its members received "workforce adjustment notices" in recent days, affecting departments such as Global Affairs Canada, Transport Canada, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, and Health Canada.
Founded in 1868, just a year after Canadian Confederation, the Agriculture and Agri-Food department plays a pivotal role in fostering the long-term profitability, sustainability, and adaptability of the Canadian agricultural sector. The implications of these recent developments are being closely monitored by stakeholders within the agriculture community, as the future landscape of agricultural research and development in Canada undergoes significant changes.
