Initially this article was going to discuss new policy priorities for the OFVGA, now that the annual general meeting is behind us. However, I am refocussing as I write from my kitchen table, between calls and emails fielding questions about the status of access to seasonal agricultural workers. The COVID-19 pandemic has quickly changed the reality for all Canadians and put the sector’s ability to produce food at risk.

As the situation evolves by the hour, I am optimistic that by the time this article is published, pragmatic solutions to allow essential agricultural workers into Canada will be implemented. We are fortunate to have built strong stakeholder and government relationships as well as financial reserves. These assets enable us to pivot quickly to the crisis and to ensure a quick resolution.

Just as the provincial and federal governments found themselves in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, so did the OFVGA. To its credit, the provincial government began contacting the OFVGA nearly a week before significant actions were announced, to understand where impacts were anticipated by the industry. Strong relationships with government eased discussions about the need for seasonal workers once the travel restrictions were announced.

A large team started working around the clock on this issue as soon as the federal government announced travel restrictions. Within hours the OFVGA board met by phone with national partners, including Foreign Agricultural Resource Management Services (FARMS), the Canadian Federation of Agriculture and the Canadian Horticultural Council..

Behind the scenes, we developed messaging for government and media. Meanwhile, social media was going wild as growers and other stakeholders raised concerns about access to workers. As tension built quickly the week of March 16, the OFVGA worked to balance the need to communicate with stakeholders, while ensuring that we shared accurate information in a timely fashion. 

With the speed at which governments were making decisions, it is not surprising that decisions with unintended consequences were made – decision makers were doing the best with the information available. The industry is fortunate that domestic food security is a necessity to help maintain the public’s health.

Less than 48 hours after the travel restrictions were announced, news of exemptions began to surface. While great news, so many details had not been worked out and while there was government support, the logistics of how to ensure workers would enter Canada without risking further spread of the virus were not yet agreed to. The OFVGA had to balance how and what it communicated to ensure we did not further muddle any misinformation. The logistical details could make or break whether workers arrive in time for the 2020 season.

The outcome of this industry crisis is not yet known. What I do know is that there continues to be a full court press to enable the travel of workers into Canada to secure a supply of fresh produce for the grocery shelves this coming season. 

Want to see an issue highlighted here, or learn more about how OFVGA represents growers? Contact Gordon Stock, senior policy and government relations advisor, at gstock@ofvga.org or 519-763-6160, ext. 125. Additional information can be found at www.ofvga.org/news.