The federal government is seeding the country’s farmers and food sector with $252 million in funding in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday (May 5) $125 million of that figure will go towards beef and pork producers raising more animals on their land than what can currently be processed amid backlogs.
Another $77 million will go towards food processors to bolster workplace safety for workers with more access to personal protective equipment, sanitization and social-distancing measures.
The remaining $50 million of the new funds will help launch a surplus-food distribution program in which the government would buy food from farmers who would have otherwise had to dispose of excess production amid mass restaurant and hotel closures.
The government-purchased food will in turn be redistributed to communities and families the prime minister said need support in terms of food security.
The investment falls significantly short of last week’s request of $2.6 billion from the Canadian Federation of Agriculture.
But Trudeau said the $250 million is only an initial effort and he expects government to increase funding as needed.
More to come ...
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