Producers will bear the total cost of quarantining temporary foreign workers (TFWs) and seasonal workers in Ontario after Aug. 31. “As long as the quarantine act is in place, we expected the funding to be in place,” said Bill George, chair of the Ontario Fruits and Vegetable Growers’ Association (OFVGA). “And it’s going to affect […] Read more
Tag Archives Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association
Feds halt funds to offset TFW quarantine costs
Agriculture organizations wanted extension to end of season
Strategy created for 2021 planting worker protection
The government and industry collaborated on the detailed strategy for farm workers
The Ontario horticulture sector has been the hardest hit of agriculture sectors by COVID-19, but it has a plan in place to help reduce risk from the virus when foreign workers arrive for 2021 planting. OMAFRA and producer groups came together to create a 35-point plan that outlines areas of responsibility and direction to help […] Read more
Crop insurance to cover labour issues
Fruit and vegetable growers will now be able to be covered by crop insurance for labour shortages resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The program is the first of its kind in Canada and has been actively lobbied for by fruit and vegetable growers. It is being funded by both the provincial and federal governments. The […] Read more
OFVGA recommending on-farm COVID-19 testing
Farmer group concerned about temporary workers moving among farms
The Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association (OFVGA) is recommending that all essential agri-food employees on Ontario farms get tested for COVID-19, as the virus continues to stubbornly spread on some farms. Testing workers on farm can help limit the spread of the disease, says the OFVGA. Why it matters: Recent outbreaks of COVID-19 on […] Read more
Fungicide re-evaluation has growers looking for alternatives
PMRA re-evaluation of chlorothalonil will make it more difficult to use
Chlorothalonil, a broad-spectrum multi-site fungicide active ingredient found in horticulture fungicides, has been re-evaluated by the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) for all uses within agriculture and turf. It is part of PMRA protocol to re-evaluate pesticide products every 15 years, or sooner, as science evolves and new information, methodologies and approaches become available to […] Read more
Program provides healthy food, new markets, school fundraiser
After five years, Fresh From The Farm has moved 2.7 million lbs. of produce
The Fresh From The Farm program gives Nathan Streef the chance to talk to children about farming and those children get the chance to meet a real farmer. Not every school that uses Fresh From The Farm gets a visit from a farmer, but Streef, whose family helped start the program, takes the time to […] Read more
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