Reading Time: 4 minutes Prince Edward Island potatoes locked out of the U.S. export market will go either to food banks or “environmentally-sound” disposal with new federal funding. Federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau on Monday announced $28 million “to support the diversion of surplus potatoes, including help to redirect surplus potatoes to organizations addressing food insecurity and support for […] Read more
Feds put up funds toward managing P.E.I. potato surplus
Ottawa budgets $28 million for distribution and disposal
End date sought for P.E.I. potato export ban
A ban from Washington would be harder to reverse, Liberals say
Reading Time: 4 minutes The federal Conservatives want to see a clearly defined end zone for the Canadian government’s suspension of Prince Edward Island potato exports to the U.S. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency on Monday announced the suspension of certification for P.E.I. potato exports to the U.S., — a move which, according to federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau, […] Read more
P.E.I. seed potato growers backed for lost sales, costs
Pandemic compensation plan to take applications until mid-January
Reading Time: 2 minutes Seed potato growers on Prince Edward Island who lost sales this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, or have had to store or throw out stock, can soon apply for provincial compensation. The provincial government on Monday announced $1.19 million for a new Seed Potato Recovery Program, for seed growers “who can demonstrate that they […] Read more
P.E.I. plans AgriStability top-up, AgriInsurance discount
Province also pledges potato storage funding
Reading Time: 2 minutes Prince Edward Island’s response to COVID-19 includes plans to pump up its farmers’ coverage level under the federal/provincial AgriStability income stabilization program. The P.E.I. government on Thursday announced a support package for farmers including $8.8 million over two years in additional business risk management (BRM) program funds. That includes paying the provincial portion of the […] Read more
P.E.I. to manage deadstock removal
Reading Time: < 1 minute Prince Edward Island’s latest provincial operating budget calls for its agriculture and land department to directly manage removal of deadstock for dairy and beef cattle producers. Finance Minister Darlene Compton’s 2019-20 operating budget, presented Tuesday, said the province will take over management of the deadstock contract “to reduce the administrative burden placed on the dairy […] Read more
Senior P.E.I. ag official to fill deputy minister post
Reading Time: < 1 minute The post of top bureaucrat in Prince Edward Island’s agriculture department now has its third occupant in as many months. Premier Dennis King on June 7 named Brian Matheson, previously director of policy and agriculture resources at the agriculture and land department, as its acting deputy minister, replacing Laurie Loane. Loane, who’d been named deputy […] Read more
P.E.I. dairyman named provincial ag and land minister
Reading Time: 2 minutes A Prince Edward Island dairy farmer who unseated the province’s incumbent premier on election night is the new provincial minister for agriculture and land, and for justice and public safety. Bloyce Thompson, the new Progressive Conservative MLA for the district of Stanhope-Marshfield, was sworn in Thursday as a member of incoming Premier Dennis King’s nine-member […] Read more
P.E.I.’s incumbent ag critic, minister returned in election
Reading Time: 2 minutes Prince Edward Island’s incumbent agriculture minister and lead opposition critic both held onto their seats in Tuesday’s election but will return to a much different legislative assembly. Dennis King’s opposition Progressive Conservatives captured 12 of 26 available districts to win a minority government. Peter Bevan-Baker’s Greens move up into official opposition with eight seats and […] Read more
CFA elects new chief
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Canadian Federation of Agriculture has elected its first-ever female president in a changing of the guard at its latest annual meeting. Mary Robinson, past-president of the Prince Edward Island Federation of Agriculture, was elected president Wednesday at the CFA’s AGM in Ottawa. She replaces Ron Bonnett, the organization’s president since 2010. Keith Currie, president […] Read more
P.E.I. potato chip plant revived for pulse processing
Reading Time: 2 minutes A Prairie grain and pulse processing firm plans to get Prince Edward Island farmers growing field peas this year to supply a new pulse processing plant. New Leaf Essentials East, a new arm of Innisfail, Alta.-based W.A. Grain and Pulse Solutions, announced Wednesday it has bought the former Humpty Dumpty potato chip plant at Slemon […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
