The Canadian Seed Trade Association (CSTA) is commending the federal government for adding seed corn to the National Commodities List, giving seed corn companies access to labour they say is urgently needed.
“Southern Ontario is home to Canada’s seed corn industry, which fuels the country’s corn demand. The seed corn companies traditionally rely on local high school students to fulfil their temporary labour demands in the summer and have had difficulty accessing the number of workers needed, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic,” CSTA says in a news release.
“Human health is the priority for seed corn companies, which implemented a number of measures to protect their employees over the past season. Labour access will remain a large challenge looking ahead to 2021.”
Last week, seed corn was added to the National Commodities List, and seed corn companies will now be able to access the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) program and Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP).
“On behalf of our members, the Canadian Seed Trade Association sincerely thanks the Government of Canada for addressing this issue. Seed corn companies will now be able to meet their labour requirements and ensure the success of the crop, leading to the growth of the Canadian corn industry as a whole,” the CSTA news release goes on to say.
