P.E.I. farmers able to apply for help with frost damage

P.E.I. farmers who didn't sign up forAgriStabilityinsurance are beinggiven late access to the program to help with the frost damage in June.

The late access will allow perennial farmers hurt by the abnormal amount of late frost to sign up.

Thoseaffectedincludedblueberry, strawberry, apple and some vegetable growers, who had fairly significant losses.

At the time of the frost, some farmers reported losses up to 75 per cent of early strawberries and 35 per cent of vegetable crops.

Some farmers delayed planting until late June to try and make sure there wouldn't be any further losses.

"The killing frost in June reduced yields for many wild blueberry growers at a time when we're already getting record low payments for our fruit.Getting in onAgriStabilitynow could be a real help for some farmers," said RobMacLean, presidentP.E.I. Wild Blueberry Growers Association.

AgriStabilityinsurance only kicks in after a 30 per cent or greater crop loss. The program iscost-shared by the provincial and federal governments.

"The Federation has pushed hard with our commodity members seeking government assistance to help producers affected by the late frosts of June," said DavidMol, president of the P.E.I. Federation of Agriculture.

"We are pleased to see this announcement and see it as a great step in the right direction for producers."

P.E.I. producers will receive information on late participation for 2018 AgriStabilityinsurance by mail in the coming weeks.

More P.E.I. news