Ontario agri-food businesses can apply for funding for COVID-19 safety measures

Ontario farmers and other agri-food businesses can now apply for federal funding for COVID-19 safety measures.

The federal government says it’s making $11.6 million available for Ontario farms.

The money will help with improvements such as building physical barriers for worker separation, upgrading HVAC systems and improving hand-washing facilities.

It’s part of a $35 million investment announced in last month’s throne speech to help the country’s agricultural sector weather the pandemic.

The Ontario government is responsible for delivering the funds.

Agri-food workers, especially those in the Windsor-Essex region, were hit hard by the pandemic’s first wave, with several outbreaks on farms.

The province says the agri-food sector supports more than 837,000 jobs in Ontario.