The provincial government today announced it will support two more key elements of the Potato Industry Seed Strategy Committee's plan for addressing problems with potato seed quality on Prince Edward Island. The two elements are high generation seed production and seed potato crop insurance.
Agriculture and Forestry Minister Eric Hammill said that his department will provide $140,000 to finance the proposed high generation seed multiplication plan. The plan will produce high quality, high generation seed from tissue-culture and mini-tuber production facilities and contract with seed growers in subsequent years to multiply that seed to commercial quantities. The plan involves Russet Burbank and Shepody varieties which represent the largest production in the province. The Prince Edward Island Potato Board will utilize the capacity of private tissue culture growers and seed growers as well as the Elite Seed Farm to implement the plan. The seed will be produced under strict quality control standards.
"The plan will allow us to reduce imports by 2003 and return to self sufficiency thereafter," said Mr. Hammill. Proposals were submitted to the minister by the Potato Board on behalf of the Seed Strategy Committee and by the Prince Edward Island Tissue Culture Association.
The minister also announced that his department will implement a new $800,000 Seed Potato Crop Insurance Program for the 2000 growing season. While all details are not final, Mr. Hammill indicated that the insurance program will reduce the financial risk for seed growers at the Nuclear, Pre-Elite, and Elite 1 to 4 levels who grow under strict quality control requirements. The program will cover losses due to quality decertification and yield reduction. While conventional Crop Insurance coverage is shared 50:50 between growers and two levels of government, the Province will further reduce growers' costs in the new seed program. Virus testing of fields before kill-down will also be offered.
"It is very important for seed growers to follow the new seed production protocol if we are going to have high quality seed, and this new program helps reduce the financial risk to growers," said Mr. Hammill. "The industry recommended this kind of program as part of the Seed Strategy, and it will be in place for 2000."
"Management of sufficient quantities of high generation material down to commercial grade seed is a critical element of this plan," said David MacMurdo, Chair of the Seed Strategy Committee. "The department's support for this plan will help us get the results we need as quickly as is possible."
The Industry Seed Strategy Committee, which includes representatives of all sectors of the potato industry and government, has been developing the components of its proposed plan since November.
"All sectors of our industry worked together to develop a strategy for addressing the virus problem, and I am pleased to see the plan being implemented," said Scott Howatt, committee member and President of the Potato Producers' Association. "The Island potato industry has the strength and the will to get through this, and to re-establish ourselves as the top supplier of high quality seed potatoes for our customers at home and abroad."