May 26, 2020 – Ottawa, Ontario – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Canada is taking steps to ensure the resilience of the food supply chain and to provide support to keep the agriculture sector strong. The Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, today announced an investment of up to $9.2 million to enhance the Youth Employment and Skills Program (YESP) and fund up to 700 new positions for youth in the agriculture industry.

This additional funding will help the agriculture industry attract Canadian youth, ages 15 to 30, to their organizations to assist with labour shortages brought on by the pandemic. This program aims to provide youth, and particularly youth facing barriers to employment, with job experience in agriculture that will provide career-related work experience.

The YESP will provide agriculture employers up to 50 per cent of the cost of hiring a Canadian youth up to $14,000. Indigenous applicants and those applicants hiring a youth facing barriers are eligible for funding of up to 80 per cent of their costs.

Eligible applicants include producers, agri-businesses, industry associations, provincial and territorial governments, Indigenous organizations and research facilities. Employers may apply for this funding retroactive to April 1, 2020, with projects to be completed by March 31, 2021.

Application forms are available through the YESP webpage, or to get more information, please contact aafc.yesp-pecj.aac@canada.ca, or call: 1-866-452-5558.

The initial fee deadline (unless otherwise shown on your Enrolment Notice) for the 2020 program year only has been extended from April 30 to July 3, 2020.

Additional information, including the application process and the AgriStability Benefit Estimator, can be found by clicking here.

Please click here for the May 5, 2020 news release from NSN regarding the Prime Minister’s additional support announcements made to farmers that day.

For many Canadians, COVID-19 is having a major impact on their everyday lives, as they work to pay their bills, put food on the table, and take care of themselves and their families. That is why it is more important than ever that Canadians have access to the tools and resources they need to support their health and well-being.

The Prime Minister announced an investment of $240.5 million to develop, expand, and launch virtual care and mental health tools to support Canadians.

Wellness Together Canada is an online portal that provides Canadians with free resources, tools, and professional support services to help with wellness and resilience, as well as mental health and substance use. It will also support a growing family of digital products that includes the Canada COVID-19 app, which helps people track their symptoms, receive the latest updates, and access trusted resources.

Samples will be accepted effective immediately with testing to begin the week of May 4, 2020.

Laboratory Services COVID-19 Notice

Special Compliance Inspections for Employers of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program during the COVID-19 Pandemic

AAFC Response – Statistics Canada Food-Processing Data

Information and Implications for the Agriculture and Agri-Food Sector

Ontario Agriculture Risk Management Program Overview

AgriStability Information

CFIA – Updated Guidance to Meat Slaughter and Processing Establishments on Prevention and Response to Suspect and Confirmed COVID-19 Plant Employees

The guidance document outlines steps that meat slaughter and processing establishments are required to take to address exposure risks for both establishment and CFIA employees. This is an update to the document that was published on March 31, 2020.