Government of Canada continues work to support Prince Edward Island potato farmers

CHARLOTTETOWN, PE, April 28, 2022 /CNW/ – Prince Edward Island (PEI) has an extended historical past of manufacturing the best high quality potatoes for Canadians and worldwide shoppers. The Authorities of Canada will proceed to face up for PEI potato farmers, who’re important to their communities and our financial system.

At the moment, the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Affiliate Minister of Nationwide Defence, on behalf of the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Meals and the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Official Languages and Minister liable for the Atlantic Canada Alternatives Company, highlighted new measures to assist make sure the long-term sustainability of the potato business on Prince Edward Island.

The Authorities of Canada is dedicated to restoring full market entry for PEI potatoes to america and can proceed to help potato growers as they head again to the fields and put together for the upcoming rising season. Reopening america border for many PEI potato exports got here at a crucial time for the business. Minister Bibeau and her federal colleagues have been working tirelessly on this subject, and performed intensive engagement with the U.S. authorities in any respect ranges to advocate for PEI’s potato business, together with a go to to Washington, D.C. to satisfy with United States Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and a number of other conferences with each Canadian and U.S. stakeholders.

As a part of continued efforts to help the long run prosperity of PEI’s potato business, Finances 2022 gives $28 million in extra funding. Together with:

• $16 million over two years, beginning in 2022-23 to the Atlantic Canada Alternatives Company to help long-term investments and help in stabilizing the PEI potato sector and provide chain.
• $12 million over two years, beginning in 2022-23, for the Canadian Meals Inspection Company (CFIA) to speed up the investigation into the newest detection of potato wart to assist stop its unfold and to permit for full commerce to renew with the U.S. as quickly as attainable.

The CFIA will use the funds to fill over 35 positions to speed up the soil sampling and testing, together with an growth of present laboratory capability. This may assist maximize CFIA’s effectivity in finishing the continued investigations associated to the newest findings recognized in October 2021, that are focused for completion in 2023.

Past the federal help allotted to PEI’s potato business in Finances 2022, the Authorities of Canada has additionally supplied a Keep of Default for 2021 excellent potato advances. These have been granted to supply growers with extra flexibility to repay an estimated $20 million prematurely funds. Potato growers who acquired help from the Prince Edward Island Federation of Agriculture (PEIFA) 2021 Advance Funds Program (APP) and are in good standing are eligible for the Keep of Default. Growers are inspired to contact the PEIFA workplace as quickly as attainable for extra particulars.

As well as, potato seed growers can also be eligible for compensation underneath the Potato Wart Compensation Rules (PWCR). Compensation underneath these laws is one other instrument to help growers.

PEI exports of recent potatoes are important to the Island’s financial system, and to all of Canada. The Authorities of Canada stays dedicated to making sure the long run prosperity of PEI’s potato business for future generations to return.

Quotes

“This subject has touched the lives of many Islanders, from multi-generational household farms, to packers, shippers, and extra. The brand new measures introduced underneath Finances 2022 and all the opposite federal help supplied will assist our potato business construct a vibrant future for the subsequent era of PEI potato farmers.”
–  The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Affiliate Minister of Nationwide Defence

“The potato is a part of Prince Edward Island’s identification. The Authorities of Canada acknowledges that the state of affairs has been extremely tough for potato growers, their households and all business stakeholders within the province. The reopening of the continental U.S. marketplace for recent potatoes is a vital step that has given growers the predictability and assurance they want for the upcoming season. We all know there’s nonetheless work to be performed and collectively, we’ll assist guarantee a secure future for the business.”
–  The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Meals

“Since potato export restrictions had been first introduced, ACOA has sought to supply PEI potato producers with the helps and monetary aid they wanted to navigate this immense problem. These new investments are one other step towards full restoration and long-term sustainability for the business.”
–  The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Official Languages and Minister liable for the Atlantic Canada Alternatives Company

“I do know the pleasure and dedication that go into each bag of PEI potatoes. Collectively, business, provincial and federal governments have and can proceed to work to include the unfold of potato wart and help ongoing commerce of the prime quality potatoes produced by PEI.”
–  Sean Casey, Member of Parliament for Charlottetown, PEI

“The potato business is the spine of the PEI financial system, and our farmers have a robust popularity of rising prime quality, scrumptious potatoes which might be loved world wide. The Authorities will proceed to make strategic investments to assist them thrive at house and within the world market.”
–  Heath MacDonald, Member of Parliament for Malpeque, PEI

“Potatoes are a key financial driver and our laborious working farmers are pleased with the merchandise they develop and export to markets worldwide. We’ll proceed to help them as they head again to fields and start the rising season.”
–  Bobby Morrissey, Member of Parliament for Egmont, PEI

Fast Information

• On February 8, 2022, america Division of Agriculture introduced the resumption of commerce in desk inventory potatoes from Prince Edward Island to Puerto Rico. This was an vital step in restoring United States market entry for Prince Edward Island, as exports of Prince Edward Island desk inventory potatoes to Puerto Rico had been valued at $12 million in 2020.
• On April 1, 2022, by means of the institution of a brand new U.S. federal order, the U.S. introduced the reopening of your entire U.S. marketplace for PEI potatoes for consumption.
• Additional federal measures to help the PEI potato business embrace:
• Changes to the AgriStability program, which protects producers towards giant declines in farming revenue, in order that producers who didn’t enroll for the 2021 program yr can sign-up now and nonetheless entry this vital revenue help.
• AgriStability interim funds have elevated, in order that producers can now apply for as much as 75% of their anticipated cost, up from 50%.
• Federal investments of as much as $28 million for the Surplus Potato Administration Response plan to help potato producers in Prince Edward Island affected by commerce disruptions associated to the outbreak of potato wart. These funds help the diversion of surplus potatoes to processors, packers and meals banks, and different markets, and supplied help for prices related to environmentally sound destruction of surplus potatoes.
• Over $180,000 in mortgage deferrals from the Atlantic Canada Alternatives Company (ACOA) to help purchasers within the sector.
• Investments in varied initiatives to help the sector, together with $700,000 to develop the PEI Potato Business Market Diversification and Restoration Plan, in addition to a $600,000 funding in RWL Holdings Ltd. to extend potato washing capability to assist the sector benefit from new market alternatives.

• Growers eligible for a Keep of Default not have to supply proof of sale, which is able to enable them to repay their advances utilizing any supply of funds with out incurring a penalty, together with their 2022 APP advance.
• The Potato Wart Compensation Rules had been enacted in 2003 to supply compensation for particular, confirmed losses resulting from therapy, prohibition, restriction or disposition associated to potato wart.
• Potato wart is a persistent fungus in soil that reduces yield on farms and might unfold by means of the motion of soil, farm gear, and potatoes from fields. It’s a pest regulated underneath the Plant Safety Act, which suggests its detection might set off measures to regulate the illness and stop its unfold.
• The primary potato wart detection in PEI in 2000 resulted within the closure of the U.S.-Canada border for all recent PEI potatoes – together with seed, desk inventory and processing potatoes – for six months. Since this primary detection, the CFIA has applied the Potato Wart Domestic Long Term Management Plan to stop the unfold of this pest to guard plant well being and commerce

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Backgrounder

The potato wart disaster state of affairs in PEI has highlighted the necessity to handle and include this illness to satisfy worldwide obligations and protect export market entry for Canada.

To assist stop unfold of potato wart to different components of Canada and preserve export markets, the Authorities of Canada has introduced a collection of measures to help PEI potato farmers who’ve been impacted. These included:

• Changes to the AgriStability program, which protects producers towards giant declines in farming revenue, in order that producers who didn’t enroll for the 2021 program yr can sign-up now and nonetheless entry this vital revenue help. AgriStability interim funds have elevated, in order that producers can now apply for as much as 75% of their anticipated cost, up from 50%.
• A Keep of Default for 2021 excellent potato advances has been granted to supply producers with extra flexibility to repay an estimated $20 million prematurely funds on the request of the Prince Edward Island Federation of Agriculture (PEIFA). Potato producers who acquired help from PEIFA’s 2021 Advance Cost Program (APP) and are in good standing are eligible for the Keep of Default. The requirement for these producers to supply proof of sale is being waived, which is able to enable them to repay their advances utilizing any supply of funds with out incurring a penalty, together with their 2022 APP advance.
• AgriInvest program, a self-managed producer-government financial savings account designed to assist farmers handle small revenue declines and make investments to handle threat and enhance market revenue. AgriInvest balances can be found at any time to help revenue declines.
• $28 million for the Surplus Potato Administration Response plan to help potato producers in Prince Edward Island affected by commerce disruptions associated to the outbreak of potato wart. These funds help the diversion of surplus potatoes to processors, packers and meals banks, and different markets, and supplied help for prices related to environmentally-sound destruction of surplus potatoes. AAFC is working with the Authorities of PEI, the PEI Potato Board, nationwide meals financial institution organizations and different stakeholder teams to ship the funding.
• $12M over two years proposed underneath Finances 2022 to help ongoing efforts to handle the potato wart state of affairs on Prince Edward Island (PEI).
• This funding will enable the Canadian Meals Inspection Company to: enhance its soil assortment and testing capability; full investigations into the newest findings of potato wart on PEI; and, assist stop its unfold inside Canada or overseas to guard Canada’s plant useful resource base in addition to protect market entry and commerce preparations. The intent is to rent in extra of 35 full-time equivalents, together with 25 full-time equal workers positioned in PEI.
• Compensation underneath the Potato Wart Compensation Rules (PWCR) for particular, confirmed losses resulting from compliance with notices issued underneath the Plant Safety Act (PPA) or Plant Safety Rules (PPR) for therapy, prohibition, restriction, or disposition associated to potato wart. Below the authorities of the PPR, the CFIA might be issuing notices to eliminate some seed potatoes from the 2021 crop. Growers who obtain a discover from the CFIA to dispose product could also be eligible for compensation underneath the PWCR. Between the primary potato wart detection in 2000 and December 31, 2021, compensation paid underneath the PWCR was roughly $6.2 million. The CFIA is making ready to subject the notices to dispose, and has supplied additional particulars on compensation for seed potato growers.
• Over $180,000 in mortgage deferrals from the Atlantic Canada Alternatives Company (ACOA).
• Investments in varied initiatives to help the sector, together with $700,000 to develop the PEI Potato Business Market Diversification and Restoration Plan, in addition to a $600,000 funding in RWL Holdings Ltd. to extend potato washing capability and assist the sector discover new markets.
• Finances 2022 additionally proposes $16M over two years to help long-term investments to help in stabilizing the Prince Edward Island potato sector and provide chain.

Moreover, to assist resolve the problem as rapidly as attainable, the Authorities of Canada performed intensive engagement with the U.S. authorities in any respect ranges. On January 27, Ministers’ Bibeau and MacAulay went to Washington, DC to satisfy with Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and underscore the significance of restoring market entry for PEI potatoes for Canada and Islanders, whereas additionally emphasizing the urgency of the state of affairs. The Ministers and Secretary Vilsack agreed to stay intently engaged on the matter and reopen the continental U.S. marketplace for desk inventory potatoes as rapidly as attainable.

On February 8, 2022, america Division of Agriculture introduced the resumption of commerce in desk inventory potatoes from Prince Edward Island to Puerto Rico, and on April 1, 2022, the U.S. introduced the reopening of your entire U.S. marketplace for PEI potatoes for consumption.

SOURCE Agriculture and Agri-Meals Canada

For additional info: Marianne Dandurand, Press Secretary, Workplace of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Meals, [email protected], 343-541-9229; Media Relations, Agriculture and Agri-Meals Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, 1-866-345-7972, [email protected]; Marianne Blondin, Press Secretary, Workplace of the Minister of Official Languages and of the Atlantic Canada Alternatives Company, [email protected]