The P.E.I. Potato Board is raising concerns about the sale of agricultural land, in particular to non-residents. Last Thursday, the board made a presentation in Charlottetown to members of the Standing Committee on Communities, Land and Environment on the topic of land speculation and the rising cost of land on P.E.I.
"The concerns were primarily around some of the rules and regulations with the Land Protections Act and ensuring that the spirit and intent of the act are followed by the province," said Greg Donald, general manager of the potato board. "We have seen examples where agricultural land has been purchased and is no longer available for potato farmers."
Enforcement needed
In its presentation, the board said the Lands Protection Act is a strong piece of legislation but needs to be enforced. "Some of the things that we're hearing from producers are issues around the sale of land to non-residents," Donald said. "Not that they're against that but there may be situations where land that farmers rented from a non-farmer or someone who used to farm, and they learn that that land has been sold."
Source: cbc.ca
