Agriculture and Forestry minister Eric Hammill will be meeting with representatives of the Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association, the Potato Board and Potato Dealers Association to discuss the implementation of new potato disinfection fees. The fees were first announced in the provincial government's Budget Address in March.
Mr. Hammill said implementation of the $10 fee on interprovincial potato trucks will be delayed for one week to work out the final details between the industry and the department.
"The support and cooperation of all sectors of the industry is needed if we are to prevent the introduction and spread of potato diseases in Prince Edward Island," said Mr. Hammill. "I am hopeful that we can discuss the details of this initiative with representatives of the trucking industry and ensure the continued success of the disinfection program."
Mr. Hammill said the disinfection program is a key factor in maintaining the province's high seed potato quality standards and is recognized by the industry as the major reason for the successful control and elimination of Bacterial Ring Rot and other infectious and contagious potato diseases.
"Two things are clear," said Mr. Hammill. "The disinfection program must be implemented properly and second, our department will hit its budget target. We fully intend to introduce this program but we're always willing to discuss the process."
The fee adds about one half of one percent of the cost of transporting potatoes to central Canadian and eastern U.S. markets.
"I can understand the concerns of the trucking industry about higher costs but $10 a load is a small price to pay to maintain our market access," said Mr. Hammill.