The Canadian government recently announced a USD28m in funding to support Prince Edward Island (PEI) potato farmers affected by trade disruptions, taking a Team Canada approach and working collaboratively with the Province of PEI and industry to support potato growers and resume full market access for PEI fresh potatoes.

“This funding of up to USD28m will be used to support the diversion of surplus potatoes, including help to redirect surplus potatoes to organizations addressing food insecurity and support for the environmentally-sound disposal of surplus potatoes. It will also support marketing activities and will help the industry to develop long-term strategies to manage future challenges,” according to a recent press release.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada will work with the Government of PEI, the PEI Potato Board, national food bank organizations, and other stakeholder groups to deliver the funding.

Producers also have access to a suite of other Business Risk Management (BRM) programs to help them manage issues. The Governments of Canada and PEI recently adjusted 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. Furthermore, AgriStability interim payments have increased, so those producers can now apply for up to 75% of their anticipated payment, up from 50%.

Potato wart is a soil-borne fungus that can remain dormant in a field for more than 40 years. It has no negative effects on human health or food safety; however, it has an impact on the economic return for potato growers by reducing yield and making potatoes unmarketable.

The US is a major destination for PEI potatoes, with approximately USD103.4m of total PEI table stock and processing potato exports in 2020.

The trade of processed potatoes is not affected by the suspension of export certification. In 2020, PEI’s processed potato exports (such as frozen fries or chips) to the US were valued at USD370.8m.