Brant County says up to 1,000 temporary foreign workers will help harvest the municipality’s crops.
“Many workers return to the county year after year, supporting our agricultural operations,” Russell Press, Brant’s director of economic development and tourism, said in a news release. “We are grateful they offer specialized farming skills and we certainly value their contribution to our community.
“These workers not only provide much needed labor to run our agricultural operations, but they are also part of our community and contribute economically.”
The county noted that the Brant County Health Unit has issued a number of requirements to ensure the safety of workers and the community. A variety of COVID-19 testing opportunities are available to workers, including PCR testing for those living in congregate settings, the county said.
Additionally, the county said that the Chamber of Commerce Brantford-Brant and Paris and District Chamber of Commerce have rapid tests available for small- and medium-sized businesses and are a free resource to the agricultural community.
Brant’s economic development team has been working with the agricultural community and all levels of government from the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure the agricultural sector within the municipality is supported.
For more information, visit www.brant.ca/COVID19.
For information on availability of rapid tests, visit www.brantfordbrantchamber.com.