\t<\/p>\n Read Also<\/p>\n Farm show hosts post-budget agriculture discussion<\/p>\n Farmers aren\u2019t always too happy with the business risk management programs available to them, but Saskatchewan\u2019s deputy minister of agriculture said they definitely use them. <\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n Those figures come from Agriculture Canada\u2019s 2026-27 departmental plan<\/a>, which was released in March.<\/p>\n The 494 estimate comes from the Agriculture Union, which represents department employees.<\/p>\n Agriculture Canada is planning the following cutbacks, the plan says:<\/p>\n 2026-27: $112,248,000<\/p>\n 2027-28: $80,083,097<\/p>\n 2028-29: $154,721,097<\/p>\n \u201cIt is anticipated that these spending reductions will involve a decrease of approximately 665 positions by 2028\u201329.\u201d<\/p>\n The job losses are part of budgetary reductions at Agriculture Canada announced in late January<\/a>.<\/p>\n At first glance, it seems like a high percentage of the job losses are directed at the science and innovation branch. The jobs being eliminated include lab\/field technicians and the other staff who support the work done at the department\u2019s research centres and farms across Canada.<\/p>\n Milton Dyck, national president of the Agriculture Union, confirmed that the majority of reductions are happening within the science division, but there\u2019s a reason for that.<\/p>\n \u201cScience and technology, by far, it\u2019s the biggest group. It\u2019s the largest holder of people in the branch.\u201d<\/p>\n Therefore, if the federal government wants to cut costs at Agriculture Canada, it must reduce the number of employees working on science, research and innovation.<\/p>\n Why it Matters: Agriculture Canada is closing of four research centres and multiple research farms in Canada, places where scientists work on behalf of farmers and the agri-food industry .<\/p>\n In 2024-25, Agriculture Canada employed 5,134 full time staff, says the departmental plan. Those people worked in four sectors:<\/p>\n Domestic and international markets (563 staff).<\/p>\n Science and innovation (2,621).<\/p>\n Sector risk (412).<\/p>\n Internal services (1,538).<\/p>\n By 2028-29, Agriculture Canada plans to have 2,125 people working in science and innovation, a loss of 496.<\/p>\n Most of the affected people will be support staff rather than scientists. The jobs eliminated will include technicians and field staff.<\/p>\n \u201c(By) axing them, you\u2019re ensuring that there\u2019s no more science being done (in specific programs or locations),\u201d Dyck said.<\/p>\n \u201cYou get rid of that middle group.\u2026 They\u2019re not doctors, but they do a lot of the lab work and technical work and do the work for the scientists.\u201d<\/p>\n As for cutting managers and administration and bureaucratic jobs, a bit of that is happening at Agriculture Canada.<\/p>\n The department plans to reduce the workforce in internal services from 1,465 this year to 1,297 in 2027-28, a loss of 168.<\/p>\n Cuts to international marketing?<\/p>\n The workforce reductions, closures of research stations and termination of other programs will allow Agriculture Canada to trim more than $650 million from its annual budget from 2025-26 to 2027-28.<\/p>\n Of those cuts, about $265 million will come from international and domestic marketing of Canadian agriculture and agri-food products.<\/p>\n Those cuts don\u2019t align with the comments of prime minister Mark Carney, who frequently says Canada must diversify its trade away from the United States.<\/p>\n An Agriculture Canada spokesperson said the $265 million reduction can be attributed to a $131 million decrease in the Dairy Direct Payment Program<\/a>, the Poultry and Egg On-Farm Investment Program<\/a> and the Youth Employment and Skills Program<\/a>.<\/p>\n As well, another $135 million decrease is from the end of Wine Sector Support Program<\/a> and the Local Food Infrastructure Program<\/a>, along with planned reductions to the Supply Management Processing Investment Fund<\/a>.<\/p>\n The spokesperson said the government remains committed to trade diversification.<\/p>\n![\"Three](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/KJB-Farm-Show-Budget-discussion-March19-2026.jpg\")
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