In October, a $12.4- million compensation plan was announced, cost-shared between the federal and provincial government, to cover losses from heavy rains in August and September that flooded fields. Some crops had to be left in the ground, and more rotted in storage.
In a news release Friday, the potato board said only $1.4 million had been received by potato farmers so far, a number Ritz disputed in comments at an event on the Island on Saturday.
"The P.E.I. Potato Assistance Program, a federal and provincial program announced last fall, has already paid out $3 million to producers to leave potatoes in the field damaged by excess moisture,"he said.
Ritz went on to say changes to the program, to cover cleaning out warehouses where potatoes had rotted in storage, would lead to the remainder of the promised funds being paid out.
"Producers will now be able to access the full $12.4 million for the destruction of product that has spoiled in storage,"he said.
