Employers in the agri-food sector in Ontario will now be able to access funds to enhance health and safety measures on farms and in food processing facilities, a news release from the government on June 12 says. The government is investing $15 million to significantly expand the Agri-Food Workplace Protection Program.
“Today’s investment will allow farmers to adapt to this new environment and implement additional health and safety measures during the COVID-19 outbreak,” Ernie Hardeman, minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs, says in the release.
The program provides a cost-share funding for employers to purchases personal protective equipment (PPE) and implement workplace modifications and other measures. By significantly expanding the program, employers can take additional steps to improve health and safety for their workers and ensure the continued supply of food during the pandemic, the release notes.
This announcement comes following COVID-19 outbreaks amongst temporary foreign workers at farms in southern Ontario.
