Mclean potato and vegetable processing facility in PEI Canada and renamed it Cavendish Farms.
"[5] Prince Edward Island implemented a moratorium on deep well irrigation in 2002, to protect its ground water supply.
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".
[9] 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:[10] 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.
[10] 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.
"[11]: 2–9 [12] In the late 2010s, the agriculture sector's demand for supplemental irrigation, has presented several challenges for "water and resource managers".
[1] 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.
[4] 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.
"[9] 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.
[14] 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.
[15] 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.
"[5] The province provided "$4.7 million to pay for shipping and storage of processed potatoes in order to have Cavendish Farms... use up existing stocks from Island growers".
"[16] In response to the concerns, Mary Jean Irving said that she has been on the "Island and growing potatoes for 29 years" and her two daughters are also interested in farming.
In the late 2010s, during a period of long stretches of dry weather" on the Island, potato growers in the area around Spring Valley, Prince Edward Island began to construct large holding ponds of water "seeking to improve potato yields".
All are supplied with groundwater from "multiple low-capacity wells nearby" using electric pumps, housed in sheds.
In a July 4, 2019 article in The Guardian, concerns were raised by some Islanders about the way in which large holding ponds in "the back country, away from people" were circumventing the spirit of the ban on new high-capacity agricultural wells on P.E.I.