As farmers across the province get ready for spring and the upcoming growing season, Ontario’s Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program (SAWP) is marking a major milestone.
The internationally acclaimed program is celebrating its 50th anniversary supplying Ontario farmers experiencing domestic labour shortages with seasonal workers from Mexico and the Caribbean.
Approximately 17,000 seasonal workers from Mexico, Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad/Tobago and the Eastern Caribbean States are expected to be placed at Ontario fruit and vegetable farms this growing season as a supplement to local labour through SAWP. Approximately 1,450 farms will benefit from the program this year.
The program got its start in 1966 when 263 seasonal workers from Jamaica were brought to Ontario to fill a shortage of available Canadian workers.
Because SAWP is a “Canadians first” program, supplementary seasonal farm labour is hired from partner countries only if agricultural operators cannot find domestic workers to fill vacancies.
The report cited the program as a key reason Ontario’s horticulture industry is able to generate $5.4 billion in economic activity and approximately 34,280 jobs.
www.farmsontario.ca