The federal government is boosting the availability of temporary foreign workers (TFWs) to ag and other understaffed sectors under a list of policy changes announced Monday. Employment and Workforce Development Minister Carla Qualtrough announced what’s called the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program Workforce Solutions Road Map, which the government said “marks the next step in […] Read more
Tag Archives COVID-19 — page 4
Changes to TFW program to expand worker availability
Workplace LMIAs now valid for 18 months
Supply chain improvement funds pledged in federal budget
Money also added for support of TFWs, P.E.I. potato sector
The federal government’s release last week of its Emissions Reduction Plan has turned out to be the spoiler for new ag funding in Thursday’s 2022 budget — although more money is also pledged to help strengthen cross-country supply chains generally. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland on Thursday laid out a federal budget with about $452.3 billion […] Read more
U.S. grains: Crop data awaited as grains fall with other commodities
China COVID-19 cases weigh on markets; grain traders monitor Ukraine news
Chicago | Reuters — U.S. wheat, corn and soybean futures fell on Monday as worries over coronavirus cases in China weighed on commodity markets while grain traders also adjusted positions ahead of key U.S. crop reports due later this week. Crude oil dropped sharply as China’s financial hub, Shanghai, launched a lockdown to contain surging […] Read more
Fuel prices may remain high beyond Russian invasion, expert says
MarketsFarm — The decision by the U.S. to halt the import of Russian petroleum products due to the country’s invasion of Ukraine created sticker shock at the pumps in North America — but an end to that invasion would not necessarily mean an end to high fuel prices. On March 15, the average price of […] Read more
AAFC warns of uncertainty in latest crop outlook
MarketsFarm — The supply/demand balance sheets for Canada’s major crops were largely left unchanged in the latest outlook Friday from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. While the March report only saw minor revisions, the government agency cautioned that “the economic outlook, for the world and Canadian grain markets, is particularly uncertain due to the Russian invasion […] Read more
Saskatchewan pushes crop insurance deadline to mid-April
'Logistical challenges' led to extension
Saskatchewan farmers will get an extra couple of weeks to apply for, cancel, reinstate or change their crop insurance contracts for 2022, due to holdups in the delivery of their application packages. That deadline, originally March 31, has now been extended to April 14, provincial Ag Minister David Marit and his federal counterpart Marie-Claude Bibeau […] Read more
Rate of rise in farmland value ‘surprised’ in 2021
Canada books 8.3 per cent year-over-year increase, FCC reports
MarketsFarm — Despite a year of economic uncertainty due to extreme weather, reduced crop yields and the COVID-19 pandemic, the value of Canadian farmland rose by its highest rate in four years, according to a report from Farm Credit Canada (FCC). FCC’s report, released Monday, revealed that the national average value of farmland increased by […] Read more
JBS to help fund home purchases for Brooks staff
Company offering zero-interest loans for down payments
One of the biggest beef packers operating in Canada is pledging $1.7 million for a one-year pilot program to help employees buy or upgrade homes. JBS Foods Canada, which operates Brazilian meat packer JBS’s plant at Brooks, Alta., on Tuesday announced the launch of what it calls the “Homebuyer Dream Fund,” providing zero-interest loans to […] Read more
Workplaces urged to set clear COVID-19 vaccination policies
Lawyer says there’s onus under health and safety act to protect workers
Legal experts are urging employers to implement COVID-19 vaccination policies, whether mandatory or voluntary, to protect employees and customers and prevent the spread in workplaces and the community. Farms and other agri-businesses are included in the recommendation. “If you are operating a workplace during a global pandemic and you haven’t turned your mind to a […] Read more
Editorial: Let’s pick our battles wisely
What began as a “Freedom Convoy” of a small group of truckers driving to Ottawa to protest against the Jan. 15 mandate that Canadian truckers need to be vaccinated to cross the U.S. border quickly escalated into a weeks-long rally in the downtown core of the nation’s capital. Even before the trucks arrived groups looking […] Read more
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