AAFC to cut more than 600 staff

UPDATED – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) will reduce its workforce by approximately 665 positions, effective Thursday.

A letter from Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Lawrence Hanson to AAFC staff posted on Reddit stated the department has finalized a review following decisions in the 2025 budget.

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s mandate letter also listed “spending less on government operations” as one of its seven priorities.

Employees affected by the cuts will be formally notified on Jan. 22.

“I want to emphasize that none of these difficult decisions were taken lightly,” said Hanson in the letter. “They have been guided by the need to ensure spending is sustainable and activities reflect the Department’s core mandate.”

An Agriculture Agri-Food Canada spokesperson has confirmed the letter.

“Details will be shared with employees first, in keeping with the Department’s obligations and out of respect for its personnel,” the spokesperson said in a statement sent to Glacier FarmMedia.

“We do not have any additional information to share at this time.”

AAFC employed 5,690 people as of March 2025, according to the Government of Canada.

AAFC’s 2025-26 departmental plan shows an expected decrease in full-time equivalents in the 2026-27 crop year, which it says “reflects a reduction in support for the Agricultural Clean Technology Program and for the Youth Employment and Skills Program and reflects attrition and vacancy management under the refocusing government spending exercise.”