A study of workforce productivity and its determinants in Québec’s strawberry sector

Description

Since workforce is key in the strawberry sector, the industry has targeted a reduction in vulnerabilities due to labour costs as a priority in its 2017–2020 Strategic Plan. This is critical because payroll accounts for 54% of all production costs incurred by strawberry and raspberry producers. In addition, according to the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council (CAHRC), the field fruit and vegetable industry will be among the most severely impacted by labour shortages between now and 2025, with 10,800 industry jobs going unfilled across Canada. In a highly competitive environment, where Québec’s trade balance is deep into the red, it is imperative that the entire sector boost its workforce productivity and overall competitiveness. This project looks to address this industry need, as set out in its strategic plan, by studying ways to maximize workforce productivity.

Objective(s)

• Measure and categorize workforce productivity in terms of added agricultural value per unit of labour input.
• Identify and analyze factors—such as practices, management methods, the adoption of new technologies, business structure, and worker characteristics—that affect workforce productivity.
• Provide recommendations to the industry to foster best business practices and models that lead to improved workforce productivity and competitiveness.