Mexican farmworkers can come after all

It seems the foreign farm worker rollercoaster for Okanagan orchardists, wineries and garden centres is over, for now.

“This is in keeping with everything to do with the COVID19 crisis changing day-to-day and hour-by-hour,” said Glen Lucas, general manager of the B.C. Fruit Growers' Association.

“As it stands now, seasonal agricultural workers will be allowed into Canada.”

This latest announcement follows last week's Áip-Áop. Initially, last week, farm groups in Canada were elated to hear foreign farm workers and temporary foreign workers would be exempt for tough new rules banning non-Canadians from entering the country.

The next day, it was revealed the exemption was only for workers from the U.S., leaving Okanagan farmers to fret about the lack of Mexican and Jamaican workers needed for successful maintenance and harvest.

However, the disappointment was short-lived and government bureaucracy expanded the exemption to allow foreign workers from other countries.

Okanagan orchardists, wineries and garden centres rely annually on 4,500 foreign farm workers a year for planting, pruning, thinning, maintenance and harvest help.

Generally, about 3,500 of the workers are from Mexico, around 1,000 from the Caribbean, mostly Jamaica.

Typically, these are jobs that Canadians don't want, so foreign workers are needed.

“However, this year, I imagine with all the other travel restrictions, fewer Mexicans and Jamaicans will want to come to come to Canada,” said Lucas.

“We'll need a lot more local people to help with agricultural work and the harvest.”

With many people losing jobs because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Lucas supposes there will be a lot more unemployed in the Valley who will now consider farm work.

“I urge anyone interested to check out the postings at JobBank.gc.ca,” said Lucas.

Some Mexican and Jamaican workers arrived before travel bans went into effect to work in vineyards.

The bulk of foreign labour needed for Okanagan orchards usually starts to arrive in April, peak in July and stay until the grape and apple harvest is over at the end of October.

It's a win-win situation for the Okanagan agriculture industry and foreign workers.

The workers provide much-need labour and they get paid more than they would in similar jobs in Mexico and the Caribbean.

Foreign farm workers are paid at least B.C. minimum wage of $13.85 an hour, live in housing provided by orchardists where they pay deeply discounted rents and have Áights to and from Canada paid for.

With COVID-related travel restrictions in place, B.C. farm groups will have to charter planes to get foreign workers here.

The workers will have to serve the 14-day quarantine on the farms where they work required for anyone entering Canada from other countries.