By Lyonel Doherty

Elation has turned to groans for B.C. fruit growers as they find themselves “back to square one” in their quest for foreign workers this season.

Glen Lucas, general manager of the B.C. Fruit Growers Association (BCFGA), updated the Oliver Chronicle and Osoyoos Times on what’s going on with the travel ban impacting temporary foreign workers.

“The agriculture sector was initially elated to hear Public Safety Minister Bill Blair announce that temporary foreign workers (TFWs) were not included in the travel ban. However, elation turned to confusion when a very senior minister in the federal cabinet clarified that the travel ban was lifted only for TFWs from the U.S.”

Lucas said the bad news is that industry is “back to square one” on the travel ban for Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP) and TFW-Ag Stream workers.

But he added the good news is that proposals are going to be presented to the federal government pressing them for clarity on the TFW program and food security in Canada, and “to resolve the travel ban issue very quickly.”
Many growers in the South Okanagan rely heavily on foreign workers from Mexico and other countries to harvest the fruit.
Local grower Gary Dhaliwal questions how orchardists like him will survive if they can’t get access to foreign workers.
“We depend on foreign labour. My workers, they’re supposed to be here on the 25th (of March). But I have no idea if they are coming or not.”
Dhaliwal says he needs approximately 50 workers to harvest his cherry crop in July.