Prince Edward Island seed potato growers will receive $1.19 million in compensation for the negative effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the provincial government says in a news release on Nov. 9.
“We know COVID-19 has had a negative impact on our seed growers, but reducing the volume of potatoes sold and adding extraordinary costs for disposal of surplus potatoes,” Bloyce Thompson, P.E.I. minister of agriculture and land, says in the release.
The Seed Potato Recovery Program is a $1.19 million fund for P.E.I. seed potato growers who can prove how they have incurred extraordinary costs associated with the pandemic, the release notes. Applications will be open until Jan. 15, 2021.
“Seed growers are the foundation of a healthy potato industry, but this has been a hard year for the seed sector,” Jason Hayden, chairman of the P.E.I. Potato Board, says in the release. “By putting relief dollars in the hands of these producers, this program will help ensure our industry remains strong and stable.”
