Over 130 Vincentian farm workers off to Canada

By Demion McTair. Updated 11:38 a.m., Tuesday May 12, 2020, Atlantic Standard Time (GMT-4).

Screenshot of a Facebook post by Agriculture Minister, Saboto Caesar.

Kingstown, St. Vincent (ONE NEW SVG) – Some 131 farm workers from St. Vincent and the Grenadines are off to Canada to work, Agriculture Minister, Saboto Caesar posted today.

The Canadian airline, Sunwing landed at the Argyle International Airport this morning to transport the workers to Canada.

One News SVG was informed that upon arrival in Canada, the workers will be quarantined for 14-days.

The Vincentian workers complying with sanitization measures just before boarding the chartered Sunwing aircraft.

The move comes as Canada recruits more farm workers from throughout the Caribbean to help with its food security needs amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Today, in St. Lucia, Minister Stephenson King posted on Facebook that “the Department of Labour wishes to inform that a group of fifty (50) Saint Lucian nationals will depart the island today via charter flight from the Hewanorra International Airport, to take up employment in Canada, under the Seasonal Agricultural Farm Worker Programme”.

St. Lucia farm workers leaving. Photo: Stephenson King.

“They will be employed for 2 years and 8 months on farms in Ontario” – he added.

The Minister added: “The Government of Saint Lucia extends heartfelt gratitude to the authorities in Canada, SLASPA and other local partners for facilitating this mission”.

“Special thanks to the Canadian Employers Cervini, Envirofresh, Bull market, Double Diamond,Twin Peak” – continued.

The move is a a change in developments regarding extra regional Caribbean workers, as most of them are trying to get into the region, including those from the cruise line industry.