The Jamaican government is expanding financial services and welfare support for farm workers participating in Canada’s Seasonal Agricultural Worker Programme (SAWP), as Jamaica and other Caribbean countries mark 60 years of cooperation under the initiative.
Minister of Labour and Social Security Pearnel Charles Jr. announced the plans during an awards ceremony at Moon Palace Jamaica in Ocho Rios, St. Ann, which opened the Annual Review Meeting of the Canada/Caribbean Seasonal Agricultural Programme.
The meeting brought together delegates from Canada and the Caribbean to review the program’s progress and discuss improvements to arrangements for participating workers.
Charles said the initiative, which allows Caribbean nationals to work temporarily on Canadian farms, has evolved beyond an economic arrangement into an important exchange of culture, skills and opportunities.
He praised participating farm workers for serving as cultural ambassadors, noting that many Canadians develop their understanding of Jamaica and the wider Caribbean through interactions with agricultural workers.
“Some of the children of the Canadian farmers will tell you when they go to school in Canada, they are cool because they are ‘Jamaican’, because they can speak Jamaican. They know the patois; they know the Caribbean culture from St Lucia and Trinidad. So, it is much more than just agriculture, it is the transfer and integration of our cultures and our people,” Charles said.
“So, tonight as we celebrate the 60 years of service and sacrifice, we honour the partnerships that brought us this far and we reaffirm our shared responsibility to ensure this partnership continues to create meaningful opportunities for generations to come.”
Canadian High Commissioner to Jamaica Mark Berman also highlighted the longstanding partnership, noting that more than 8,000 Jamaican workers traveled to Canada in 2025, making Jamaica the second-largest participant in the program.
“The number of workers who travel every year tells an important story. The true success of the programme is reflected in the lives it has touched – workers who return season after season, the employers who value their contributions, and the families and communities that benefit from the opportunities,” Berman said.
Greater focus on workers’ welfare
While acknowledging the economic benefits of the program, Charles emphasized the emotional and psychological challenges faced by workers who spend several months away from their families.
He said the experience can be particularly difficult for workers with children and other dependents, making family support an important part of the government’s efforts to improve the program.
Through the Ministry of Labour and Social Security’s Family Service Unit, workers receive assistance maintaining communication with relatives and addressing welfare concerns.
“We have to consider the families and how they remain connected with the workers,” Charles said, “and how their difficulties can be identified and addressed.”
The minister also noted that participation in the program has helped many workers achieve financial stability, improve their social standing and develop leadership skills.
Drawing on his interactions with farm workers from his South West Clarendon constituency, Charles said many participants have become respected community leaders after returning to Jamaica.
Expanded financial services through JN Group
As part of the government’s efforts to strengthen support for workers, Charles announced an expansion of the ministry’s partnership with The Jamaica National Group.
The ministry has worked with the financial institution for the past two years following a memorandum of understanding with JN Money to provide farm workers with easier access to remittance and bill payment services.
The partnership has since expanded to include scholarships for workers’ children, access to short-term loans and other initiatives designed to ease the financial pressures associated with spending extended periods overseas.
Under the expanded arrangement, participating workers will gain access to savings accounts that allow them to remit funds through the JN Money App.
Additional services will include cash-secured credit cards, mortgage financing for eligible workers and small business loans to help returning workers establish businesses in Jamaica.
Workers will also have access to specially packaged individual and family critical illness insurance plans, along with burial plans offered through JN Life Insurance.
Charles also announced plans for a financial literacy initiative to be developed by the JN Foundation in collaboration with the ministry.
“This is an opportunity for partnership, and I want to particularly welcome the JN Foundation, which is the foundation of the JN Group, who will advance a financial literacy programme to be developed in collaboration with the ministry at the parish level for our farm workers,” he said.
The training will be delivered through face-to-face sessions across Jamaica, providing practical guidance on budgeting, savings and managing earnings from seasonal agricultural employment.
The minister said the government intends to pursue additional partnerships with private companies, public sector agencies and multinational organizations to expand the range of benefits available to farm workers.
Six decades of agricultural cooperation
The Seasonal Agricultural Worker Programme has facilitated the temporary employment of Caribbean agricultural workers in Canada for six decades, providing labor for Canadian farms while creating income-generating opportunities for workers and their families.
Charles said the program has contributed significantly to the economic well-being of participating households and communities, while helping Canadian agricultural producers meet their labor needs.
During the awards ceremony, more than 20 farm workers were recognized for their longstanding contributions, including some who have participated in the program for nearly 50 years.
“Your service to the programme has helped to give this programme its character and continuity as well,” Charles told the awardees.
“As we move into the seventh decade, I believe that we have a very strong partnership… Strong cooperation between our countries and careful administration and a willingness to act is what will carry us forward,” he added.
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