Some 200 growers have applied for the Prince Edward Island potato diversion program.
PEI growers plan to divert 3 million cwt for which they will be paid $5/cwt by the government. These potatoes will be used for compost.
The plan is to compensate growers up to 70 percent of their loss for potatoes that cannot be marketed this season because of the potato wart fungus.
Growers have scheduled a meeting with the Canadian Minister of Agriculture this week to ask him to match PEI funding. Grain growers will also be looking for subsidy payments.
In the meantime, Canadian grocery chains are boycotting United States potatoes. There is vague talk of a consumer boycott of all American products until the border is opened for PEI potatoes to move into the United States.