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Ontario to receive additional $11.6 million for on-farm COVID-19 prevention

A new agreement between the governments of Canada and Ontario will see Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) invest an additional $11.6 million to help support efforts by Ontario producers to stop the spread of COVID-19 on their farms.

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Actions such as building physical barriers for worker separation, upgrading HVAC systems and enhancing hand-washing facilities will be eligible for this funding. The federal funding that will be delivered by Ontario is in addition to the Ontario government’s commitment from June of up to $15 million to support workplace safety enhancements in the sector through the Enhanced Agri-food Workplace Protection Program.

“Protecting the health and well-being of all farm workers who are helping ensure food security for Canadians has been a top priority since the beginning of the pandemic,” said Marie-Claude Bibeau, federal minister of agriculture and agri-food. “We will continue to provide Ontario farmers with the support they need to ensure the right measures are in place to safeguard their employees and limit the spread of the virus.”

“We’re committed to ensuring farm workers can do their jobs safely, and that they are able to continue to provide Ontario families with safe, high-quality food,” said Ernie Hardeman, Ontario minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs. “Ontario’s agri-food businesses and their hardworking employees play a critical role in keeping our food supply chain strong and we’re doing everything we can to help support them.”

“Ensuring the health and safety of our families and employees continues to be the highest priority for our members,” said Keith Currie, president of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture. “Adopting pandemic protocols and making adaptations on-farm and to accommodations has added another layer of complexity and expense to our farm businesses from spring planting through harvest. This investment of $26.6 million from the federal and provincial governments will directly contribute to ensuring our ability to produce high-quality, affordable food close to home while ensuring greater employee protection.”

Under the expanded program, the amount farmers can claim for preventive expenses, including a combination of workplace modifications, PPE, transportation and temporary housing, will double to $15,000.

The program will also include a new category for small capital projects of up to $100,000 for housing modifications, workplace modifications and equipment to allow greater physical distancing for workers.

This added funding for enhanced worker and workplace safety builds on numerous government actions taken this year to support Ontario farms and other agri-food sector businesses.