Thursday, 21 May 2020

Supply of local food on 'verge of collapse' without foreign workers, say N.B. farming groups

https://twitter.com/DavidRayAmos/with_replies




Replying to @alllibertynews and 49 others
Content disabled
Methinks if Higgy's handlers have two clues between their ears they will have him drop the writ ASAP while he is still kinda sorta popular with swing voters He who hesitates loses N'esy Pas? 
 


https://davidraymondamos3.blogspot.com/2020/05/supply-of-local-food-on-verge-of.html







https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/higgs-very-disappointed-nb-1.5580078



Temporary foreign workers to be allowed back into N.B. again starting May 29

Workers will have to quarantine for 14 days



CBC News · Posted: May 22, 2020 10:27 AM AT



“We are still prioritizing the safety of New Brunswickers, but as we restart our economy we also have to find ways to meet the needs of the agriculture and seafood sectors,” said Higgs. (Office of the Premier)

Temporary foreign workers will be allowed back into the province starting on May 29, Premier Blaine Higgs announced Friday.

The workers were banned from the province April 28, stirring up a storm of criticism from farmers and fish-plant operators that rely on the workers.

Higgs said after consultations with public health authorities, he was convinced that it was safe to drop his opposition to allowing the workers in the province as long as safety measures are respected, including quarantining for 14 days.


"We are still prioritizing the safety of New Brunswickers, but as we restart our economy we also have to find ways to meet the needs of the agriculture and seafood sectors," said Higgs.

"Our plan was to always allow temporary foreign workers to enter the province once it was safe to do so."

Higgs 'very' disappointed

Higgs said earlier in the day that he was "very" disappointed more New Brunswickers didn't apply for jobs in the farming and seafood processing sectors.

"We have 70,000 people who are unemployed in the province right now — 30,000 students — and we got about 200, 250 that are actually signed up for jobs and 100 or so that are interviewing," Higgs told Information Morning on Friday.

"No, New Brunswickers weren't interested in the process."

Higgs has tried to keep New Brunswick borders closed as much as possible during the state of emergency over the coronavirus, and for weeks stood firm against allowing temporary foreign workers in to work on farms and in fish processing.


The province has been exploring a couple of options for addressing the job vacancies, Higgs said, suggesting that the fire at a processing plant in Val-Comeau on Thursday could send some workers to fill other vacancies nearby.

"They are in touch with the other processing plants to have the employees shift immediately into other areas where they're needed," said Higgs.

Farmers and seafood processing plant operators have said they rely on temporary foreign workers to make their businesses work and were skeptical from the start that New Brunswick residents could take their place.

"It's clear that the response that we've received to fulfil the many jobs that are available in the province was not as anticipated," said HIggs.

"In that light I said that I would ensure we would fill the jobs required both for the processing plants and the farming and agriculture side."

Farmers, seafood plants struggling

At news conference yesterday, three provincial farming groups warned that 2,000 acres on 18 farms could go unplanted, with the loss of millions of dollars, if foreign workers are not allowed in.


Meanwhile, one lobster processing plant has hired more students, including some as young as middle school aged.

They expect this means they will only be able to process about half as many lobsters as they usually do.

'A broken system'

Higgs appeared to put some of the blame on the employment insurance system
.
"We have a broken system in our insurance program, where 10 weeks is the limit and everybody is happy if they get 10 weeks," said Higgs.

Information Morning - Fredericton
Covid task force

The all-party Covid task force reconvenes to consider New Brunswick's next phase of recovery.  Premier Blaine Higgs, Liberal Leader Kevin Vickers, Green Party leader David Coon, and People's Alliance Party leader Kris Austin. 22:25
"We have a broken system. For years we've been afraid to deal with it."

With files from Information Morning Fredericton


CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices





209 Comments 
Commenting is now closed for this story.





David Amos
Methinks its fairly obvious that the Green Meanies and their supporters are gonna get the flip flop from Higgy that they have been demanding N'esy Pas?


David Amos 
Reply to @David Amos: YUP The headline just changed affirming the flip flop everybody was expecting for awhile 













David Amos 
Methinks Higgy and the Feds no doubt understand why I just left a voicemail with a tip for the Port to Port Immigration Services N'esy Pas?  












David Amos:
Methinks that even though I spoke to Tim Livingstone 3 weeks ago and sent him and Higgy emails and many others to prove what I was saying is true I doubt that he or Higgy or his local MP will ever admit it now that he has got what he wanted N'esy Pas?


David Amos 
Reply to @David Amos: Need I say I knew the score between farmers and I long before Ashworth spoke on the radio this morning?


Ray Oliver 
Reply to @David Amos: If you know so much about such a wide variety of topics why are you where you are and the people you call and give "tips" where they are? TOTAL opposite ends of the success spectrum n'esy pas???


David Amos
Reply to @Ray Oliver: Howcome you are Brandon Manitoba or Mr Jones today?


David Amos
Reply to @Ray Oliver: BTW I really liked Marilyn Clark Unlike you she was very open and honest with me remembered our common concerns with "Old Harry" from 10 years ago 
 


Ray Oliver
Reply to @David Amos: Oh just cause I know how much it bothers you.

Ray Oliver
Reply to @David Amos: Cool name drop on the port to port call you had. Quite the rolodex of high rollers you've amassed. I speak for all of us on here I believe when I say we are not worthy!!

David Amos 
Reply to @Ray Oliver: Who is "We"? I bet you mean you and your other 3 IDS EH?

Methinks everybody knows you are just another no-name Conservative minion working for Higgy et al who does not have the sand to use his real name in cyberspace as he harasses real people with serious concerns about the government's integrity N'esy Pas? 
 

Ray Oliver
Reply to @David Amos: Same account. Name change cause I know how it grinds ya. This is my name. I work for no one. And you dont have serious concerns you come on here to talk about you and your great battles with all levels of government. How truly righteous you are in all you do to keep the "man" in check.


Ray Oliver
Reply to @David Amos: But at the end of the day it's about references to running politically, your blog, sueing anyone of power for attention, who you call when you feel your worldly advice is needed. I think you're a riot actually. Should be studied in depth






















Jesse Pinkman
So you create a big movement where you are asking New Brunswickers to step up for New Brunswick and then abandon it after 3 weeks?? And then you wonder why nobody buys into these things? That's it, I'm done. I really felt like I was contributing to New Brunswick, but if our efforts are abandoned after 3 weeks then what's the point? Just lost my vote and I was literally gushing about Higgs when I woke up 4 hours ago.


David Amos  
Reply to @Jesse Pinkman: Methinks you are not alone in your disgust but many children of the sixties such as I always believed that its never wise to believe any politician and always question their purported authority and try to hold them accountable every chance you get N'esy Pas? 
 

Jesse Pinkman
Reply to @David Amos: I'm sorry I ever said anything supportive of Higgs. I am so furious right now. Every breath I spent defining Irving boy was wasted. 


Archie Levesque
Reply to @Jesse Pinkman: So because the unemployed wont step up and take a job you are now mad at Higgs? Makes sense. He tried to employ NBers but you cant force people to work.


James Smith 
Reply to @Jesse Pinkman: LOL you still have any trust or faith in government? How drole.


Jesse Pinkman 
Reply to @Archie Levesque: He gave it 3 weeks. How many people even knew about the jobs website? Did the government run tv ads? Did the employers advertise these jobs? I saw them on television every night whining about how they needed TFWs, but they never called on NBers to apply or told them how?

Paint it however you like and turn it around on me, but Higgs lost my vote with this and I defended him on everything, even the healthcare u turn.



























SarahRose Werner
"Temporary foreign workers will be allowed back into the province starting on May 29, Premier Blaine Higgs announced Friday." - I admire Higgs' willingness to admit that he was wrong and change course.

 
Jesse Pinkman
Reply to @SarahRose Werner: Are you going to vote for him? Because I was and I'm a loyal PC voter but if he backtracks on this after only giving 3 weeks then I certainly won't. So good for you that you admire him, but unless you're going to vote for him, it's down 1 vote for him between you and I.

 
SarahRose Werner
Reply to @Jesse Pinkman: I admire him for this one thing. I don't admire his political philosophy in general, so no, I'm not going to vote for him. But I can recognize admirable qualities in people whom I otherwise disagree with. I don't live in a black-and-white world.


Jesse Pinkman 
Reply to @SarahRose Werner: In politics they don't want your admiration, they want your vote.

Tony Mcalbey
Reply to @SarahRose Werner: He actually blamed nbers for not taking the jobs. He counted on us and we told him no, just like he’s told us family can’t visit from other provinces.


Tony Mcalbey
Reply to @Jesse Pinkman: Higgy is losing voters than gaining


David Amos 
Content disabled  
Reply to @Tony Mcalbey: Methinks if Higgy's handlers have two clues between their ears (I doubt that they do) they will have him drop the writ ASAP while he is still kinda sorta popular with swing voters He who hesitates loses N'esy Pas?


David Amos
Reply to @David Amos: BINGO





















Methinks its interesting that Madame Small made the first and last comment and that we have the same issues with our kids and Higgy N'esy Pas?



janice small
Hmmmmm the TFW'S can come in and my daughter can't come cross the from Amherst to come visit !! Really ....







janice small
Did Higgs get a haircut or is he combing his hair a different way, maybe its the camera shot..lol....


debi mcdonald
Reply to @janice small: Who cares. More important things on the go. A great question is why are these jobs not being filled ? Or at the very least some? Easy money for some, too hard to give up ?


Tony Mcalbey 
Reply to @debi mcdonald: Most people don’t work for bad bosses, Higgs is being way to bossy from borders closures to shaming of NBers for not taking the jobs. Ask your neighbors who are unemployed and able to do those jobs. They will say why put my body through the hard labour for same amount of free cash Ottawa is sending. People are fed up being in NB jail, why help the bossy premier out, I’m not. Let the TFW’s come in and help their families and other countries prosper at the expense of us. Higgs set himself up for this and he’s seeing the results he didn’t want.


David Amos
Reply to @debi mcdonald: Methinks Higgy et al will care about haircuts in short order if a writ is dropped but I certainly won't for obvious reasons N'esy Pas?

Go Figure why the barbers are now allowed to open

N.B. COVID-19 roundup: You can all get your hair cut and see more friends now

Dr. Jennifer Russell announces no new cases of the respiratory virus
Elizabeth Fraser · CBC News · Posted: May 22, 2020 9:51 AM AT






https://twitter.com/DavidRayAmos/with_replies




Replying to @alllibertynews and 49 others
Methinks the farmers should ask themselves why their spokespersons ignored me for years N'esy Pas?


https://davidraymondamos3.blogspot.com/2020/05/supply-of-local-food-on-verge-of.html
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/food-supply-collapse-workers-1.5578534



Supply of local food on 'verge of collapse' without foreign workers, say N.B. farming groups

2,000 acres to go unplanted, with losses of $7 million


Jordan Gill · CBC News · Posted: May 21, 2020 12:24 PM AT



Temporary foreign workers have been barred from the province because of COVID-19. (Mike Heenan/CBC)

New Brunswick farming groups say the province's local food supply is on "the verge of collapse" because of the government's refusal to admit temporary foreign workers.

At a joint press conference, the National Farmers Union in New Brunswick, Agricultural Alliance of New Brunswick, and Really Local Harvest said a survey of 18 farms suggests that 2,000 acres will go unplanted this season on those properties.

They claim this would result in the loss of $7 million for those 18 farms. The news conference was held the day after Premier Blaine Higgs indicated he might relent somewhat on the ban.


"In order to ensure local food choices at affordable food prices temporary foreign workers must be allowed to come to our province and work seasonally in primary agricultural production," said Lisa Ashworth, president of the Agricultural Alliance.
Ashworth said neighbouring provinces have already brought in temporary foreign workers without the feared increase in COVID-19 cases.

Temporary foreign workers banned

In April, the provincial government banned temporary foreign workers from entering the province as part of their strategy to curb the spread of COVID-19.

This caused concern in the agriculture, aquaculture and fish processing industries, which said they rely on temporary foreign workers to keep their businesses running.

The province said unemployed New Brunwickers and students could do the work instead, but farmers say those workers won't have the training and work ethic of the temporary foreign workers.

Kent Coates, the president of Really Local Harvest, said he found it more difficult to find local workers as his farm grew, so he turned to temporary foreign workers in 2018.


Lisa Ashworth, president of the Agricultural Alliance of New Brunswick, says the temporary workers are needed to ensure affordable local food prices. (Submitted by the Agricultural Alliance of New Brunswick)

He said the three men he hired from Mexico changed his life.

"They gave me hope that growing food in New Brunswick is possible," said Coates.

Coates said he hoped to bring in workers next Monday to begin their two-week quarantine.

He said he's already lost some.

"One of my trained workers came to Canada today, he's working on a farm in a different province," said Coates.

Softening his position?

On Wednesday, Higgs suggested he would be open to loosening restrictions on some foreign workers after the number of New Brunswickers coming forward to fill those jobs was underwhelming.


"I said I wouldn't let them go without employees and I meant that. I won't," Higgs said during Wednesday's briefing on the COVID-19 pandemic.


Kent Coates says one of his regular workers has already come into Canada, to work on a different farm in a different province. (Submitted/Really Local Harvest)

"If we don't fill the roster in the next few days … then there will be the decisions made to ensure we meet the needs."

Coates said he doesn't expect there to be any food shortages in the province as major grocers will still bring food in. But local products will be harder to find.

He said he won't be growing some labour-intensive, low-yield produce such as green and yellow beans.



CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices






110 Comments
Commenting is now closed for this story.





David Amos
Methinks the farmers should ask themselves why their spokespersons ignored me for years N'esy Pas?


Bob Lewis
Reply to @David Amos: Let's start a list of reasons.. and Go


David Amos 
Reply to @Bob Lewis: Methinks your hero Higgy and the farmer I just called know why I don't care anymore N'esy Pas? 


Bob Lewis
Reply to @David Amos: Did you really call using a phone or was it telepathy ??


David Amos 
Reply to @Bob Lewis: Methinks everybody knows your hero Higgy never votes for me whenever I run in Fundy Royal. However you can pick up the phone and ask his buddy Rob Moore what I said to all the Green Meanies who attended the last debate i had with that lawyer on October 17th, 2019 after my former friend the farmer Werner Bock made a quite scene and voiced his disgust about the severe lack of support for farmers and stomped out of the room N'esy Pas? 
 
 
Ray Oliver
Brandon Manitoba
Reply to @David Amos: You mean the guy who thinks his cattle were killed by laser beams? Yeah, I'm sure him "scene" held alot of validity. LOL


Carlson MacKenzie 
Reply to @Bob Lewis: Don't feed the tra wl er.


David Amos
Reply to @Ray Oliver: Methinks other folks must find it comical just as much as I do when they see your name change from Brandon Manitoba when they refresh the page N'esy Pas?


David Amos 
Reply to @Carlson MacKenzie: Methinks you are what you call me N'esy Pas?




























David Amos
Methinks after hearing a the partner of a certain MLA I should have no doubt that the SANB and the Green Meanies are behind this news item N'esy Pas?


David Amos 
Reply to @David Amos: Methinks as the folks who are listening to leaders yap on the radio right now I bet many would agree that the dude under the green banner who can't be named is in charge of Higgy's circus right now but I doubt that is gonna last if Higgy wants a writ to be dropped N'esy Pas?

























 

Leandre Joseph Gautreau
It's common sense. Who wants to work for 11 dollars per hour 12 hours per day 6 and 7 days per week. Rain or shine. Roughly 120 dollars per day. Pay income tax on that. Pay your fuel to go to work. Most local workers would prefer to work on construction site. Work for building supply stores. Even Mcdonald and Tim's is better than that. The 12 hour shift is probably the killer. Something has to be done. We cannot always depend of foreign workers. We have to improve our own economy and have better working conditions.


David Amos 
Reply to @Leandre Joseph Gautreau: Well put



























Bruce Sanders
2,000 acres of 363,000 available acres? That's round-off error. That is simply neither serious, nor justification.


SarahRose Werner 
Reply to @Bruce Sanders: Where are you getting the figure of 363,000 available acres? Also note that the figure of 2,000 acres refers to the 18 farms that were surveyed, not to all farms in New Brunswick. "A survey of 18 farms suggests that 2,000 acres on those properties will go unplanted this season."


David Amos
Reply to @Bruce Sanders: Methinks the decline of fishing, farming and forestry picked up steam bigtime under Alan Graham's mandates N'esy Pas?


David Amos
Reply to @Bruce Sanders: Methinks Canada changed its way of doing business bigtime in 2002 while I was suing legions of Yankee lawyers south of the 49th. It should be a small wonder why I ran for public office 7 times since then N'esy Pas?

Wikipedia tells us
"The Temporary foreign worker program or TFWP is a program of the Government of Canada to allow employers in Canada to hire foreign nationals.[1] When the program started in 1973, most of the workers brought in were high-skill workers such as specialist doctors.[2] In 2002 a "low-skilled workers" category was added; this category now makes up most of the temporary foreign workforce.[2][3] In 2006, the program was expanded and fast-tracking introduced for some locations"




























Ben Haroldson
the psuuck hole deepens.


David Amos 
Reply to @Ben Haroldson: Yup






Round Two

Temporary foreign workers to be allowed back into N.B. again

Industry says lifting the ban doesn't immediately solve the problems it created

CBC News ·






"We are still prioritizing the safety of New Brunswickers, but as we restart our economy we also have to find ways to meet the needs of the agriculture and seafood sectors," said Higgs.

"Our plan was to always allow temporary foreign workers to enter the province once it was safe to do so."

Farming organizations are applauding the reversal.

"We're very happy to have the skilled workforce that we know has the tools, the ability to do the jobs that we need," said Lisa Ashworth, the president of the Agricultural Alliance of New Brunswick.

Too late for some

Marilyn Clark, owner of Port to Port Immigration Services, an immigration consultancy office that works closely with the fisheries sector, said the news is a relief. However, it probably comes too late for the lucrative spring season.

"May 29 is very much late," she said. "All over the Maritimes ...  prices are falling fishermen are on quota. We needed that processing capacity. We needed it this year desperately more than any other year."


She said 60 workers already have their paperwork done, but the two-week quarantine they'll likely have to do before starting work is another delay.

"The heavy volumes of lobster come in at the beginning of the season not at the end of it," she said.

The other workers she represents won't make it until the August season.


Tim Livingstone, owner of Strawberry Hill Farm near Woodstock, said because of the delay, the workers he had waiting for this policy change lost their permits last week.

He said he's asked his local MP and contacted the organization that works with the Mexican government to try to find out how quickly those permits can be reinstated or reopened.

"We're still in limbo, unfortunately," he said.


Livingstone said he's had to hire and train 10 people to replace the four regular temporary foreign workers. He said that's taken a toll on his business.

"[Training] 10 new people that have never done this before is really putting us a lot of stress on us," he said. "We can't handle more of that."
If the workers' permits can be reinstated, Livingstone said he will hire them in addition to the 10 he already hired, so he wouldn't be laying anyone off.

"I know it's a very controversial issue and I don't have all the answers myself. Other than that, we're a farm trying to provide local product at a reasonable price. And it's very stressful right now as to how to do that."

Ashworth said she had hoped the ban would be dropped immediately, saying that the two-week quarantine will push work to mid-June.

This means farmers who were expecting temporary foreign workers in April may still have to find alternative arrangements.


"You can't extend the timeline into the fall, plant a little later and harvest a little later," she said. "We don't have the climate that would allow for that."

Some workers who normally come to New Brunswick have already found work in provinces that didn't adopt the same ban.

Ashworth said there are still plenty of potential temporary foreign workers, but farms will be at a disadvantage since these workers won't necessarily be familiar with New Brunswick farms.

Higgs 'very' disappointed

Higgs said earlier in the day that he was "very" disappointed more New Brunswickers didn't apply for jobs in the farming and seafood processing sectors when they became available as a result of the ban.

"We have 70,000 people who are unemployed in the province right now — 30,000 students — and we got about 200, 250 that are actually signed up for jobs and 100 or so that are interviewing," Higgs told Information Morning on Friday.

"No, New Brunswickers weren't interested in the process."


Higgs has tried to keep New Brunswick borders closed as much as possible during the state of emergency over the coronavirus, and for weeks stood firm against allowing temporary foreign workers in to work on farms and in fish processing.
The province has been exploring a couple of options for addressing the job vacancies, Higgs said, suggesting that the fire at a processing plant in Val-Comeau on Thursday could send some workers to fill other vacancies nearby.

"They are in touch with the other processing plants to have the employees shift immediately into other areas where they're needed," said Higgs.

Farmers and seafood processing plant operators have said they rely on temporary foreign workers to make their businesses work and were skeptical from the start that New Brunswick residents could take their place.

"It's clear that the response that we've received to fulfil the many jobs that are available in the province was not as anticipated," said HIggs.

"In that light I said that I would ensure we would fill the jobs required both for the processing plants and the farming and agriculture side."


Farmers, seafood plants struggling

At news conference yesterday, three provincial farming groups warned that 2,000 acres on 18 farms could go unplanted, with the loss of millions of dollars, if foreign workers are not allowed in.

Meanwhile, one lobster processing plant has hired more students, including some as young as middle school aged.

They expect this means they will only be able to process about half as many lobsters as they usually do.

At a briefing on the coronavirus Friday, Higgs said there was no plan to offer any compensation for sectors that were impacted by the lack of temporary foreign workers.

He also appeared to question the need some employers said they had for temporary foreign workers.
"We had people that all of a sudden said "I need temporary foreign workers' who never made any applications," said Higgs.


"So you kind of say, 'Where did that list come from?"

'A broken system'

Higgs appeared to blame the federal employment insurance system in part for the weak interest in the seasons jobs among New Brunswick residents.

"We have a broken system in our insurance program, where 10 weeks is the limit and everybody is happy if they get 10 weeks," said Higgs.


Information Morning - Fredericton
Covid task force

The all-party Covid task force reconvenes to consider New Brunswick's next phase of recovery.  Premier Blaine Higgs, Liberal Leader Kevin Vickers, Green Party leader David Coon, and People's Alliance Party leader Kris Austin. 22:25
"We have a broken system. For years we've been afraid to deal with it."

With files from Information Morning Fredericton, Hadeel Ibrahim & Jordan Gill

CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices

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