As politicians lob criticisms toward the temporary foreign worker program that fills open Canadian jobs, Okanagan orchardists would like more workers. The federal government started capping the temporary foreign workers it would allow in the country last year after years of steady growth since 2017, not only in agriculture. There's no question Okanagan farmers need temporary foreign workers and while the recent criticism from both sides of the political aisle in BC notes the demand for farm workers, Arts said it gets lost in the fervour. BC saw 37 per cent fewer foreign worker approvals in the first three months of 2025, but how many of those are within the agricultural sector isn't clear. "Locals don't want to pick fruit, and I don't know how to say that politely," Arts said.