The federal government has announced more than $6 million to support worker health and safety in the Ontario food processing sector. Some of those recipients are greenhouse packing facilities.  

Temporary foreign workers arriving by charter at Toronto Pearson International Airport will now be offered a vaccine at a secure vaccination site. The vaccine is voluntary. 

After two years of research and pilots, Luci Faas was successful in identifying a home-compostable cucumber wrap for Nature Fresh Farms, Leamington, Ontario. The Canadian Produce Marketing Association is honouring her as one of 10 Women in Produce nominees. 

Ontario growers should note that April 22 is the intake opening date to apply for a maximum of $15,000 to help offset costs of personal protective equipment and redesigned work stations. It’s first-come, first-served for the $10 million provincial program.

Vineland Research and Innovation Centre is collaborating with INO, a leader in optics and photonics to bring robotic harvesting to Canadian greenhouse cucumber growers. 

Cultivar, a produce company based in Spain, has won first prize in the “Best Convenience Packaging” category of the World Food Innovation Awards. The jury praised the functionality and aesthetic appeal of the paper-based format, while noting the reduction of plastic.

Despite the pandemic, the produce supply chain held strong in 2020 with Canada receiving 49 per cent of American produce exports valued at $3.5 billion. The number is unchanged from 2019.  

The Mosaic Company, a producer and marketer of concentrated phosphate and potash crop nutrients, will collaborate with AgBiome, to discover, develop and launch novel biological approaches to enhancing soil fertility.

Ontario’s vaccination strategy prioritizes agricultural workers in its phase-two rollout. Culturally appropriate resources in English, Spanish and Thai are available from the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association to communicate about the COVID-19 vaccines.