“ It ’s a very important political platform for us . It has enabled our industry to grow and if we did not have access to these worker who do great job and require to work here , we could not have large orchards in the apple industry . ” So says Cathy McKay , chair of the Ontario Apple Growers and a grower with Nature ’s Bounty Farm of Canada ’s Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program ( SAWP ) that many agriculturalist across the country preserve to swear on .
Nature ’s Bounty Farm is in its 24th time of year with prole from Mexico , though the programme in Canada began in 1966 - -then only open to workers from Jamaica . McKay says they have the same five worker from Mexico arriving annually at the end of March to start pruning Malus pumila trees , tie up trellis tree diagram , assist out with the cultivator ’s pumpkin , squash and pelt crop and harvesting in the fall . The proletarian are with the agriculturist until former November .
Nature ’s Bounty Farm is in its 24th season with workers from Mexico via the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program ( SAWP ) .
ascertain needsIn order to participate in the program , employers / raiser must submit a Labor Market Impact Assessment ( LMIA ) with the federal government . In the past times , part of this require that jobs were publicize in three places for Canadian worker first and if these efforts proved stillborn , employers could contribute in people to operate . This stipulation was suspended in January 2022 and looks to be ending next calendar month . In all , some 40,000 workers from Mexico and participating Caribbean countries get in yearly in Canada .
The plan continues to serve growers with a key part of their clientele – access labor , an issue made more acute since the start of the pandemic . “ One thing about orchards is they ’re not at the goal of a public transit line . We ’re a bit obscure and rural and there just are n’t actor nearby , ” suppose McKay .
To improve transparency with the public , Ontario agriculturalist have launchedwww.morethanamigrantworker.cato facilitate partake in some of the account about workers in Ontario .
Increased documentationHowever , the programme is fare under what looks to be an increasingly sleepless eye – first from the national media with headlines over worker mistreatment . Also though , from regime boards . “ We ’re always looking to have just workings conditions and we do have proletarian caparison inspections every twelvemonth , ” says McKay . “ Documentation has increased over the years and the LMIA is now small than it ever was . We have a lot more audits overall now , both on newspaper and in person . ”
To better transparency with the public , Ontario growers have launchedwww.morethanamigrantworker.cato aid share some of the account about workers in Ontario . “ There are interview and videos with various workers , some who ’ve come for 30 years and have build raw houses and put their kids through school , ” say McKay . “ They also talk about how they pay into the Canada Pension Plan so that back home , they can gather CPP once they retire . They ’re also covered through health charge so if someone goes to the hospital , nobody pays anything . ”
Other development in the program are public lecture at the federal horizontal surface to make it easy for workers to gain lasting residence . “ That ’s what they want . Some people have farms back home – last class , all of our workers tell us they were going home to a job in Mexico . However they could n’t make the money there , ” says McKay .
For more information : Cathy McKayOntario Apple Growers / Nature ’s Bounty FarmTel : +1 ( 905 ) 440 - 0966[email protected]https://www.naturesbountyfarm.com / www.onapples.com
© FloralDaily.com/Astrid van hideout Broek
