Federal Ag Minister Outlines Rules to Allow Temporary Foreign Workers

Apr 14, 2020

Many farms in our country rely on workers coming from other nations to help on the farm.

Canada's top ag minister, Marie Claude Bibeau, outlined the rules and regulations to allow temporary foreign workers to enter the country this spring to help with the new growing season. "Like all foreign nationals arriving to Canada during the COVID-19 crisis, they must follow a strict mandatory 14 day isolation period."

Bibeau also announced program to help farmers financially to help to comply with the isolation period. "The new federal support provides employers with $1,500 per worker to help put in place and ensure compliance with the strict public health requirements. This exceptional program will be available as long as the quarantine act is enforced," explains Bibeau.

Even with the foreign workers allowed to enter the country, Bibeau notes there are thousands of jobs available in the food sector. The Province of Alberta also has a plan in place for those unemployed that may want to work in the ag and agri-food sector.

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Video: LALEXPERT: Sclerotinia cycle and prophylactic methods

White rot, also known as sclerotinia, is a common agricultural fungal disease caused by various virulent species of Sclerotinia. It initially affects the root system (mycelium) before spreading to the aerial parts through the dissemination of spores.

Sclerotinia is undoubtedly a disease of major economic importance, and very damaging in the event of a heavy attack.

All these attacks come from the primary inoculum stored in the soil: sclerotia. These forms of resistance can survive in the soil for over 10 years, maintaining constant contamination of susceptible host crops, causing symptoms on the crop and replenishing the soil inoculum with new sclerotia.