The first effects of the swine flu virus outbreak in Mexico are being felt on the fresh produce industry with news that seasonal workers heading to Canada from the Latin American country will have to undergo a health check.
Canadian officials said that the checks must take place inside 24 hours before workers board a plane to the country, with two doctors checking for signs of the illness in addition to the physical exam that is already compulsory.
Up to 20,000 Mexicans are expected to travel to Canada to pick fruit and work in vegetable fields this year, with 3,000 heading for British Columbia, according to The Province.
Stemming the flow of workers coming from Mexico would severely hit harvesting and produce packing, according to industry officials.
'It would have a huge impact on farms for sure,' Greg Norton, president of the Cherry Growers' Association, told the publication, although employers could look to the Caribbean and other commonwealth nations for replacement workers if need be.
Over 20 deaths in Mexico have been confirmed as being linked to swine flu, with suspected cases of infection in countries from the Americas, Europe, Asia and Australasia.
