The federal government moved Tuesday to ease multiple pressures in Canada’s agriculture industry created by the COVID-19 pandemic with the promise of a $252-million aid package.
The funds fall far short of the $2.6 billion request for help last month from the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the money is a starting point.
“We know that farmers still have concerns about what this pandemic means for their industry long-term,” Trudeau said.
The government is working with everyone involved to find lasting solutions, he said.
“This is an initial investment and if we need to add more, we will.”
The temporary foreign workers who plant and harvest food can’t all come to Canada, but if they do manage to arrive, they and domestic workers need equipment and supplies such as masks to keep them safe and able to do their jobs while respecting virus mitigation protocols.
