The federal government has expanded the range of compensation available under its golden nematode disaster program for potato growers in the quarantined St-Amable area east of Montreal.
“We have listened to potato farmers and we are taking action to help them deal with the immediate transition costs incurred,” said Quebec MP and Minister of State Christian Paradis in a release Tuesday. “This support is necessary so that farmers can continue operating their farms and move forward.”
Under the expanded program farmers will get direct payments to cover “a range of extraordinary costs” incurred due to the discovery of golden nematode and the measures introduced by the government to control the spread of the pest.
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The changes also incorporate an affected farm outside of the original boundary established by the program, making the farm eligible for all components of the program.
First found in the area in August 2006, golden nematode is a quarantine pest in Canada because it can reduce yields of host crops, such as potatoes and eggplants, by up to 80 per cent and can survive dormant in host soil for decades.
The pest has also previously been confirmed in Newfoundland and on Vancouver Island.
