FREDERICTON — An association representing New Brunswick farmers says the arrival of temporary foreign workers won't be delayed again this year.

Agriculture Alliance of New Brunswick CEO Anna Belliveau says the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions will allow fully vaccinated foreign workers to head directly to the province's farms.

Belliveau says COVID-19 rules during the last two years were costly and inconvenient and they included two-week isolation requirements for temporary workers.

About 200 temporary foreign workers arrive each year to fill the labour-intensive jobs on New Brunswick farms — jobs the farmers are not able to fill locally.  

But she says the 2022 season will still be filled with uncertainly, as farmers are faced with hefty fuel prices and the rising cost of supplies.

Belliveau says the higher overhead costs are forcing the province's farmers to decide how much crops they should plant this year, if at all.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 21, 2022.

The Canadian Press