May 5, 2020.

The Liberal government unveiled a multimillion-dollar aid package this morning aimed at helping farmers and food processors safely navigate the novel coronavirus pandemic — aid that comes in response to concerns about food security in Canada and the health of vulnerable food sector workers.

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

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