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OFVGA and OMAFRA create updated resources for workers and growers during COVID-19
February 16, 2021 By Fruit & Vegetable
The Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association (OFVGA) recently updated their COVID-19 resources for growers and workers, including resources for workers in English, French, Spanish and Thai.
In addition, the Government of Ontario is providing up to $118,500 to develop specialized COVID-19 resources to better protect the health and safety of temporary foreign workers (TFWs) and others employed in the agri-food sector. Informed by health, cultural and support organizations, these new resources, entitled the “Cultural Resources Library,” will be designed by the OFVGA in a variety of languages and formats and will be distributed to farms, greenhouses and food processing operations across Ontario.
“Our international workers have grown and harvested our food and helped keep our food supply chain strong throughout the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Ernie Hardeman, minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs. “These new resources will ensure that all of our agri-food workers are well informed so they can help stop the spread and keep COVID-19 out of our workplaces.”
These new resources represent one of the many steps being taken to keep agri-food workers safe as part of the province’s Prevention, Control and Outbreak Support Strategy for COVID-19 in Ontario’s Farm Workers. The strategy provides guidance on how to prevent and control COVID-19 on farms, protect farm worker safety and wellness, and maintain the sustainability and viability of the agri-food sector.
“This project is one of many initiatives that the OFVGA and the Ontario government are partnering on to ensure the health and safety of this critical workforce,” said Bill George, OFVGA chair. “The safety of the international farm workforce has been paramount since the beginning of the pandemic, and the resources developed through this project will further support the efforts of Ontario’s farm employers to keep all farm workers safe while producing food for Canadians.”
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