The number of Barbadians being recruited to take part in the Canadian Farm Labour Programme is at an all-time low.
The programme, which once boasted numbers of close to 1,000 in the 70s and 80s, has now seen recruits plummeted to a record low, with only 169 Barbadians taking part in this year’s programme.
And according to acting Senior Labour Officer Valerie Quintyne, the numbers aren’t expected to get much better, with around 180 persons expected to make the trip to Canada for the 2012 season.
Speaking at an orientation session hosted by the National Employment Bureau (NEB) for those workers participating in the 2012 programme, Quintyne revealed that not only had there been a significant decline in those persons taking part in the programme, but also in the interest shown from agricultural workers.
She said that most of the applications which the NEB had received came from people who had no agricultural background or experience, notably construction workers and landscapers.
Full story in tomorrow’s Weekend Nation
