The provincial and federal governments are teaming up to help farmers better protect the health and safety of agri-food workers in the province from COVID-19 to ensure the continued supply of locally grown food all year round.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada will invest an additional $11.6 million to help support efforts by Ontario producers to stop the spread of COVID-19 on their farms.
Actions such as building physical barriers for worker separation, upgrading HVAC systems and enhancing hand-washing facilities will be eligible for this funding.
This is in addition to the Ontario government’s commitment in June of up to $15 million to support workplace safety enhancements in the sector through the Enhanced Agri-food Workplace Protection Program.
“Ensuring the health and safety of our families and employees continues to be the highest priority for our members,” said Keith Currie, President of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture. “Adopting pandemic protocols and making adaptations on farm and to accommodations has added another layer of complexity and expense to our farm businesses from spring planting through harvest. This investment of $26.6 million from the federal and provincial governments will directly contribute to ensuring our ability to produce high quality, affordable food close to home while ensuring greater employee protection.”
Under the expanded program, the amount farmers can claim for preventive expenses including a combination of workplace modifications, PPE, transportation and temporary housing will double to $15,000.
The program will also include a new category for small capital projects of up to $100,000 for housing modifications, workplace modifications and equipment to allow greater physical distancing for workers.
