Federal Investment To Improve TFW Program

Aug 04, 2020

On Friday, the Federal Government announced additional action is being taken to reduce the incidence and impact of COVID-19 outbreaks on farms.

Ottawa is investing $58.6 million to strengthen the Temporary Foreign Workers Program to safeguard the health and safety of Canadian and temporary foreign workers.

There's $7.4 million to increase supports to temporary foreign workers, including $6.0M for direct outreach to workers delivered through migrant worker support organizations.

There's $16.2 million to strengthen the employer inspections and $35 million to improve health and safety on farms and in employee living quarters to prevent and respond to the spread of COVID-19.

This money will be used for infrastructure improvements to living quarters, temporary or emergency housing (on- or off-farm), as well as PPE, sanitary stations, and any other health and safety measures.

Non-repayable contributions will be cost-shared 50:50 with the applicants.

The Government will also work to develop mandatory requirements to improve employer-provided accommodations, focusing on ensuring better living conditions for workers which will help reduce the risk of infection and spread of COVID for foreign workers.

The Windsor-Essex County in Ontario is currently dealing with a COVID outbreak amongst Temporary Foreign Workers.

Click here to see more...

Video: Secure Pork Supply Plan | Prepare to Protect Your Herd | U.S. Pork Producers

Join Jill Brokaw, a third-generation pig farmer, as she dives into the vital role of the Secure Pork Supply (SPS) Plan in preparing the U.S. pork industry for potential foreign animal disease outbreaks. This video is an essential watch for pork producers who are looking to safeguard their operations against the threats of diseases like foot and mouth disease, classical swine fever, and African swine fever. Why Should Pork Producers Care? An outbreak of foreign animal diseases in the U.S. could lead to severe restrictions and potentially result in industry-wide financial losses estimated between $15 to $100 billion. The SPS Plan is a collective effort to prevent such catastrophic outcomes by enhancing biosecurity, ensuring animal traceability, and promoting effective disease monitoring.