P.E.I. oyster farmers push for crop insurance program

P.E.I. oyster growers say this fall's early freeze highlights the need for a governmentinsurance program fortheir industry.

Like many land farmers, growers are concerned theunseasonably cold weather and ice-filled bays and riverscould ultimately kill someof theircrop.

The P.E.I. governmenthas already paid out $11millionin claims this year throughits crop insurance program, P.E.I.'s Agriculture Minister Robert Henderson says but that insurance isn't available to the farmed shellfish industry.

You've got two or three years invested in a crop, so the opportunity for a loss is higher. Shawn Cooke

"As an association, we've asked government before if they'd be interested in including us in a program like crop insurance ... thinking the oyster industry is a lot like the farming industry.But we've never had any success," said Shawn Cooke, president of the Island Oyster Growers Group.

Cooke maintains private insurance premiumswould be too costly for most Island oyster growers.

He saidwithout access to a government program, growers are vulnerable to major financial losses, whichmay be the reality for some thisyear.

"As the farms grow and more fellas are getting into it, everyone's got more invested into it," said Cooke.

"And it's very intensive, because you've got two or three years invested in a crop, so the opportunity for a loss is higher ...There's definitely risks."

Growers not considered farmers

The cost of crop insurance programs isshared between both levels of governmentand farmers.The programallows for much lower premiums than farmers would pay through a private plan.

While provinces administer the programs, it's ultimately Agriculture Canada that sets therules.

The Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance (CAIA) says the problem for oyster growers and other seafood farmersis that they're not considered farmers by Agriculture Canada.

"Because of that, we've always fallen under the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and that has limited our access," said Tim Kennedy, CAIA'sexecutive director.

"We think the time is very ripe that we are taken under the umbrella of Agriculture Canada for growth purposes, and that includes access to the risk programs and support programs long enjoyed by [land] farmers."

'Critical for that support to be there'

Kennedy saidfor years, his alliance has been lobbying the federal government to make that change.

He said the challenges facing P.E.I. oyster growers this fall point tothe urgent need for insurance.

"That support is needed for the farmers and the communities," said Kennedy. "This is a significant risk.The margins are very small in the shellfish sector, andthat's why it's really critical for that support to be there.It shouldn't be this difficult."

In a statement emailed toCBCNews,DFOmedia relations' CaroleSaindonsays the need for government-funded insurance for aquaculture producers has been explored, and"preliminary reviews have found that there are a few key risks potentially affecting aquaculture producers, such as disease outbreaks and climate induced impacts. These risks are both sporadic and highly variable across the country."

The federal government "will continue to engage with the aquaculture industry on this request," she added.

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