The seasonal labour program at the root of Ontario’s fruit and vegetable industry, is ready for the coming growing season.
This is the 49th year the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program (SAWP) has operated in Ontario, allowing farm operations to remain operating in the face of a critical shortage of suitable and available Canadian workers.
Over the winter, Mississauga-based Foreign Agricultural Resource Management Services (FARMS) has been busy finalizing arrangements with its international partners for 2015 when approximately 16,000 workers will return to Ontario farms the program.
Because it is a Canadians-first program, supplementary seasonal farm labour is hired from other countries (Mexico, Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad/Tobago and the Eastern Caribbean States) only if agricultural operators cannot find domestic workers to fill vacancies.
“Knowing a reliable source of seasonal workers exists allows farmers to plan for the future, invest in their operations and continue a livelihood that has sometimes been shared by their families for generations,” said Ken Forth, president of FARMS, which administers the program.
Not only does seasonal programs benefit Ontario farmers, but also the province’s overall economy.
It is estimated that at least two jobs for Canadians are created in the farm food industry for every seasonal agricultural worker employed through the program at Ontario farms.
“Without SAWP, some operations would be forced to stop growing fruits and vegetables altogether, or move into less labour-intensive crops,” Forth said.
FARMS is busy preparing for early spring when thousands of supplemental labourers will return to help farmers across the province make the coming growing season a success.
The largest influx is expected in mid-April when fruit growers begin pruning trees and vegetable growers begin field work.
More information about Canada’s Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program can be found at www.farmsontario.ca.
