Alberta farmers worry referendum immigration changes could disrupt workforce

It takes a lot of work for this honey farmer in central Alberta to get his thousands of beehives ready for winter. This work is all crucial to how the bees end up next year. Owner Kevin Nixon says local hiring often falls short. It's not something that you can just pick up in one season and do it. He relies on about 20 temporary foreign workers from Mexico to get through the season. Alberta's referendum questions could have a big impact on those workers. Questions proposing service fees and waiting periods for healthcare and education for non-permanent residents are on the ballot. Producers like Nixon worry about retaining their crews. We would be in big trouble and the livestock would suffer. The JBS meat processing plant in Brooks, Alberta employs about 400 temporary workers. The union is concerned about these proposals. How we can ask people to contribute to our economy and to our communities while making them feel that they have different opportunities than the other people. Experts and industry warn of ripple effects if these changes were implemented. And that will ultimately lead to a slow turnaround when it comes to productivity particularly in the agriculture sector for Alberta and by extension in Canada. In a statement, the province says if voters back the referendum questions on immigration, It will work with employers to quote, develop a system where we determine the workers our economy actually needs. Back on Nixon's farm, the stakes go far beyond his farm gate. At the end of the day, in agriculture, we need these workers in agriculture to produce our food. Premier Daniel Smith's government has made its position clear. It believes immigration levels have put significant pressure on public services and is hoping for a strong mandate to address that. Nadia Hashmi, CBC News, Red Deer, Alberta.