Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
The potato wart crisis situation in PEI has highlighted the need to manage and contain this disease to meet international obligations and preserve export market access for Canada.
To help prevent spread of potato wart to other parts of Canada and maintain export markets, the Government of Canada has announced a series of measures to support PEI potato farmers who have been impacted. These included:
- Adjustments to the AgriStability program, which protects producers against large declines in farming income, so that producers who did not enroll for the 2021 program year can sign-up now and still access this important income support. AgriStability interim payments have increased, so that producers can now apply for up to 75% of their anticipated payment, up from 50%.
- A Stay of Default for 2021 outstanding potato advances has been granted to provide producers with additional flexibility to repay an estimated $20 million in advance payments at the request of the Prince Edward Island Federation of Agriculture (PEIFA). Potato producers who received support from PEIFA's 2021 Advance Payment Program (APP) and are in good standing are eligible for the Stay of Default. The requirement for these producers to provide proof of sale is being waived, which will allow them to repay their advances using any source of funds without incurring a penalty, including their 2022 APP advance.
- AgriInvest program, a self-managed producer-government savings account designed to help farmers manage small income declines and make investments to manage risk and improve market income. AgriInvest balances are available at any time to support income declines.
- $28 million for the Surplus Potato Management Response plan to support potato producers in Prince Edward Island affected by trade disruptions related to the outbreak of potato wart. These funds support the diversion of surplus potatoes to processors, packers and food banks, and other markets, and provided support for costs associated with environmentally-sound destruction of surplus potatoes. AAFC is working with the Government of PEI, the PEI Potato Board, national food bank organizations and other stakeholder groups to deliver the funding.
- $12M over two years proposed under Budget 2022 to support ongoing efforts to address the potato wart situation on Prince Edward Island (PEI).
- This funding will allow the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to: increase its soil collection and testing capacity; complete investigations into the most recent findings of potato wart on PEI; and, help prevent its spread within Canada or abroad to protect Canada's plant resource base as well as preserve market access and trade arrangements. The intent is to hire in excess of 35 full-time equivalents, including 25 full-time equivalent employees located in PEI.
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