Dover Mills accountable for lost wheat: treasurer

The treasurer for P.E.I. says the company whose clerical error caused some farmers to dump their wheat crop will be held accountable for any losses incurred as a result of the mistake.

Wes Sheridan met with members of the grain industry on Tuesday and said the province would be speaking with officials from Dover Mills, a main buyer of the Island's grain.

"They have come out very forthrightly and said it was their error, no question about it," he said. "It's their problem."

Because ofa typographical error, a letter from Dover Mills to the P.E.I. Grain Elevators Corporationgavea number forthe allowable level of a toxin causedby Fusarium blight that washalf the actual Canadian standard. Some grain farmers dumped their wheat as a result andhave been calling for compensationever since the error was discovered.

Sheridan downplayed the number of farmers who may have to be compensated for dumping milling wheat in the mistaken belief it was not fit for human consumption.

He said three or four farms mightneed to becompensated.

"We all know that there's not millions of dollars lost in this industry whatsoever. That is just a political statement," Sheridan said.

It's still not clear how much good wheat was dumped as a result of the error.

Increased frustration

Anthony Nabuurs of the P.E.I. Grain and Protein Council said each farmer's case will have to be assessed individually.

"Some guys made the decision to dump, all based on this decision or on this mistake," he said.

Nabuurs said some farmers did not have crop insurance.

The meeting also dealt with the future of the milling wheat industry. Emerson MacMillan, chair of P.E.I. Grain Elevators Corporation, said the error took a toll on farmers.

"The growers are very tired and very frustrated," said MacMillan.

"It's very frustrating, especially this year the time and money they put into it. Input costs were higher than they've ever been in the history of this country."

With growers having to be dealt with on an individual basis for compensation, it could be some time before the issue is resolved.