Ground water (Prince Edward Island)
Prince Edward Island implemented a moratorium on deep well irrigation in 2002, to protect its ground water supply.[6] At an October 2015, P.E.I. Environmental Advisory Committee meeting to draft a Water Act, Leo Broderick with the Council of Canadians said that the Island needs to "legislate a ban on deep well irrigation to prevent long-term groundwater depletion".[6]
The Ministry of Environment provides an online—both historical and real-time—of groundwater levels (GWLs) with data from 14 groundwater level observation wells across PEI:[7] Baltic, Bear River, Bloomfield, Caledonia, Georgetown, Knutsford, Lakeside, New Dominion, New Zealand Road, Riverdale, Sleepyhollow, Souris Line Road, Souris River Road, St. Charles, Summerside GST, and York.[7]
The major source of water supplies in Prince Edward Island—both industrial and potable—is groundwater from 260 watersheds that are "relatively small and non-contiguous."[8][9] In the late 2010s, the agriculture sector's demand for supplemental irrigation, has presented several challenges for "water and resource managers". Because of the uneven topography of the island and its "relatively small and non-contiguous watersheds", "pumping groundwater has ... raised concerns for groundwater sustainability." In their January 2020 article in the journal Water, the authors write that an "inventory of groundwater is necessary for efficient water resource management, especially in relation to growing groundwater demands for agricultural use. It is neither feasible nor economical to install and manage monitoring groundwater wells in a place like Prince Edward Island, which consists of 260 watersheds for efficient water management."[9]
By 2016, yields for P.E.I. process growers were not increasing at pace with other North American regions, according to P.E.I. Potato Board.[10] In 2017, because of "limited availability of potatoes on the Island" the company imported 150 million pounds of potatoes in 2017 from New Brunswick, Manitoba, Alberta and Maine, according to Ron Clow, the General Manager of Cavendish Farms.
CBC News reported on May 14, 2018, that "French-fry giant Cavendish Farms" had "reiterated its desire to see the end of a moratorium on new high-capacity agricultural wells" which Irving said would help P.E.I. potato farmers "stay competitive".[11] At the Greater Charlottetown Area Chamber of Commerce's annual general meeting, the company president, Robert K. Irving—who was the keynote speaker—said that without "supplemental irrigation" is needed when low rainfalls and drought-type conditions would mean below-average yields during potato growing season."[6]
Potatoes are sensitive to soil water deficits compared to other crops such as wheat, and need frequent irrigation, especially while tubers are growing. With climate change, reduced rainfall in many areas is predicted to increase the need for irrigation of potato crops. Potatoes require 8.4 gallons of water needed to produce 100 grams of each crop, which is quite efficient compared to corn.[12]
In July 2018, Cavendish Farms announced that because of a shortage of Island potatoes, they would be closing their fresh packaging facility in O’Leary and laying off 40 workers.
Covid-19 pandemic
P.E.I. farm owner, Douglas Campbell, who is District Director of the National Farmers Union, expressed concern that "family farms will disappear unless they are forced under the umbrella of the industrial sector, the processors and retailer. Farmers are often under pressure to use farm practices which they know are destructive. In PEI alone thousands of farm families have been pushed off the land."[13]
During the COVID-19 pandemic, with inter-provincial borders already closed, Cavendish Farms said that because of a surplus of potatoes, that the "P.E.I. potato producers under contract to supply" Cavendish Farms with potatoes should "sell to other markets if they can".[13]
Campbell raised concerns that the $4.7 million relief fund announced by the PEI Minister of Agriculture was largely "destined" for the Irving group of companies.[13] When Cavendish Farms became aware that they had access to government pandemic relief funds, they told their potato producers under contract to supply, that they plan on taking "potatoes from the growers and produce marketable french fries".[13]
