I know that in the media there has been a lot of negativity about temporary worker programs that maybe do not relate directly to agriculture or what we saw happening with McDonalds and different things. Those are different programs.
I think what's happened in the last couple of years with that in protecting the F.A.R.M.S. and FERME programs is about being able to make sure that all the farmers are doing their due diligence in putting in an ad at Canada's Job Bank and in putting in another ad. I think they tightened up on all the protocols, which were already in place, just to make sure that everyone was doing what they were supposed to be doing to access these workers.
Sometimes when it gets down to a farm level where things.... How can I say this? Sometimes the farmers struggle with doing some of the paperwork that's involved. However, I believe it's necessary for us to have to go through that type of paperwork and do all of that. I think that sometimes that's where the struggle is and that's where sometimes people may lose workers.
There were also some challenges with ordering your workers on time. You have to order them a few months in advance, and if you do not do that.... In Jamaica, there's a security protocol that they have to go through and there are criminal background checks that have to be done, and if they're not given enough time on that end from when the farmers order the people, they won't get them on time because of the process.
Also, when you put your ads in the Job Bank, they have to be running for so many weeks or so before you can actually access the number. All the information is there and it's easy to understand, but sometimes it unfortunately falls through the cracks with some farmers.