Ontario's Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program has grown from 264 workers in 1966 to over 18 thousand this year.
Spokesman Ken Forth argues without the program, the province's fruit and vegetable industry would be a cottage industry, leaving most of the produce to come from places like the U-S and Mexico.
Forth says a recent survey also suggests the program creates jobs for 34 thousand Canadians - jobs which wouldn't be there without those foreign workers.
He calls it a 'Canadians first' program - pointing out employers have to advertise in the national job bank and local newspapers for Canadian workers - and come up short - before they can access foreign workers.
Forth points out there are a number of differences between the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program and other more recent - and controversial - Temporary Foreign Workers programs.
He says the differences include the fact the governments of supplying countries and the Canadian government are involved in SAWP - and that it undergoes annual reviews to keep it aligned with the needs of the industry.
This will be the 49th year for the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program.
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Spokesman Ken Forth calls it a 'Canadians-first' program.
[audio mp3="http://blackburnnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/SAWP-Forth-1.mp3"][/audio]
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Forth says the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program has evolved from 264 workers in 1966 to about 18 thousand this year.
[audio mp3="http://blackburnnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/SAWP-Forth-2.mp3"][/audio]
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Forth argues bringing in those foreign workers creates about 34 thousand jobs for Canadians associated with the province's fruit and vegetable industry.
[audio mp3="http://blackburnnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/SAWP-Forth-3.mp3"][/audio]
