$252M emergency aid package coming for farmers, food processors but critics warn it's not enough

The Liberal government unveiled a multimillion-dollaraid package this morning aimed at helping farmers and food processors safely navigate the novelcoronavirus pandemic an announcement that comes in response to concernsabout food security in Canada and the health of vulnerable food sectorworkers.

But the funding envelope an "initial amount,"according to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau falls far short of the $2.6 billion emergency fund requested bythe Canadian Federation of Agriculture.

Trudeau announced a new $77million fund for food processors of varioussizes, including meat packers, to help these businesses retrofit their factories and increase their capacity to deal with abacklog of livestock building up in parts of the county.

Watch | Prime Minister Justin Trudeau talks about federal role in keeping meat plant workers safe

PM on feds' role in health and safety of meat plant employees

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau takes questions from CBC's Tom Parry on why it's up to the federal government to ensure international meat packing companies keep their workers safe.

The money can be used to buypersonal protective equipment for workers, adapt to health protocolsand support other social distancing measures, said the prime minister during his daily briefing outside of Rideau Cottage today.

While money can be used to make conditions safer for workers on the line an official in Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau's office also stressed that occupationalhealth and safety is a provincial issue.

The government is also adding $125 million to the AgriRecovery fund, a federal-provincial-territorial program aimed at helping farmers during disasters.

The cattle industry has been pushing for this type of funding to help cover the cost of extended stays in feedlots something similar to the "set-aside" program in place during the bovine spongiform encephalopathy ("mad cow disease") outbreak.

$50M surplus purchase program

The government also announced$50 million for a purchase program for surplus food, similar to what's available for some farmers in the U.S.Trudeausaid the goal is toredistribute the surplusto food banks.

Such a program could help the french-fry potato industry, which has seen plummeting sales becauserestaurantshave been closed from coast-to-coast since the beginning of the pandemic.

"The government will buy large quantities of certain products at risk of going to waste say, potatoes or poultry and redistribute them to organizations addressing food insecurity," said Trudeau.

"This will help ensure that our farmers are being compensated for their hard work and that our most vulnerable have access to fresh food during this crisis."

Watch | Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asked about size of agrifood aid package

Trudeau questioned why his farm aid package doesn't match what producers want

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke with reporters on Tuesday

The government also wants to expand the Canadian Dairy Commission Act to allow it to buy and store more surplus dairy productslike cheese and butter to avoid moreinstances of milk dumping, amove welcomed by theDairy Farmers of Canada.

"Never have we seen such fluctuation in demand for milk from one week to another, and despite the best efforts to manage production to align with consumer needs, bottlenecks resulted in milk having to be disposed at the farm, something no dairy farmer wants to see," said Pierre Lampron, president of the Dairy Farmers of Canada.

The announcements comeas some farmers begin the spring planting season and as some are warning that they could startculling their animals to cope with reduced capacity at some of the country's largest meat processing plants, a sector that's been particularly hard hit by the pandemic.

The Canadian Federation of Agriculture has been warning that a financial boost is urgently needed to protect against food shortages in Canada. Itcalled for a $2.6 billion emergency fund last Thursday.

Federation president Mary Robinson told CTV News she welcomes the announcement but it falls "well short" of what is needed.

"We had hoped to see something much more significant," she said. "It's discouraging to be given such a small amount."

"If your house was burning down and I offered you a bucket of water to put it out,you'd probably have an issue."

When asked about the federation's multi-billion request, Trudeau saidmore will need to be done.

"We know that there is more to do and we will keep working with them to determine exactly how we can best help," he said.

"This is an initial investment and if we need to add more, we will."

Conservative MP John Barlow, the party'sagriculture and agri-food critic, said the money allocated won'tmeet the needs of farmers and producerswho have been raising the alarm for weeks now.

"Canada's food supply chains depend on our farmers and producers. But once again, the Trudeau Liberals have made it clear that they do not consider our agriculture sector to be a priority," he said in a statement.

"When food security should be a priority, the Liberals are sprinkling water on a burning farm house."

The NDP's critic echoed that argument.

"Sadly, the government is still letting down many producers who are still not eligible for current support programs," saidAlistair MacGregorin a statement.

"New Democrats will continue to ask the government to make sure their national food policy connects food producers to local communities so that no one in Canada has to worry about where their next meal is coming from."

Alberta meat plant reopens amid controversy

The federation has been calling for the creation of an emergency preparedness fund specifically for farmers dealing with increased expenses and obstacles due to the pandemic. It also wants the federal government to ensure farmers and food processors have the personal protective equipment they need to do their jobs safely.

Fabian Murphy,presidentof the Agriculture Union, said Tuesday's announcement doesn't go far enough to protect food inspectors.

"Generally speaking, a handout to processorsis not going to solve the issue of protecting workers' safety if they cannot access adequate personal protective gear," he said in a statement.

"It might result in separation of workstations on the production line, but it will do little to address cramped quarters elsewhere in the hallways, lunchroomsand washrooms of the plants."

Watch |Those who feel unsafe won't be forced back to work, can get CERB: Freeland

Those who feel unsafe won't be forced back to work, can get CERB: Freeland

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Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland says that workers are "not obliged to work unsafe conditions" and will still qualify for CERB after being questioned by NDP MP Heather McPherson during a virtual session of question period.

Trudeau's announcement comes one day after the Cargill meat processing plant near High River, Alta., reopened. It closed more than two weeks ago after an outbreak swept through the plant.

More than 900 of Cargill's 2,000 workers have tested positive for the novel coronavirus and one worker has died, making the plantthe site of the largest single COVID-19 outbreak in Canada.

The union that represents the workers is asking a court to stop work at the plant and has also filed unfair labour practice complaints against Cargill and the province

Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland told that a virtual House of Commons session on Tuesday thatworkers are not obliged to go to work if they feel unsafe and will still qualify for theCanada Emergency Response Benefit if they opt to stay home.

"It is absolutely the case that no Canadian should feel they have to work in an environment that is unsafe," said Freeland, after being questioned by NDP MP Heather McPherson.

"The government, of course, should not penalize workers for doing the right thing and declining to go to work in unsafe conditions."