Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz presented $743,000 to the Canadian Horticulture Council last week to help it find new international markets for top-quality Canadian spuds. He said demand for Canadian potatoes is surging and the growers want to make the most of the opportunity that’s been presented them.
The funding is modelled after assistance the minister has provided to other commodities through the Economic Action Plan and federal initiatives to promote exports and implement programs that will meet requirements of food-importing countries.
As well, there will be $2.5 million for research and $364,000 to improve on-farm food safety systems.
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The spud funds will help the growers improve record-keeping systems for growers that will help them meet food safety standards in importing countries. The Horticulture Council will have $688,000 to undertake international market development and export promotion activities for potatoes.
The Horticulture Council asked Ritz to look into a system to compensate growers when a buyer goes bankrupt. The U.S. has such a system and it protects Canadian fruit and vegetable growers selling into the United States. But American farmers like Canadian growers have no protection in Canada.
Ritz said the U.S. Department of Agriculture has served notice that unless Canada implements a compensation plan that protects American farmers, Canadian farmers will no longer be covered in the U.S. He said he would push his provincial colleagues to implement such a plan.
