The details of a $12.4-million compensation deal for P.E.I. farmers whose crops were damaged by heavy rain this year were announced by the province Wednesday.

'We don't know the amount of damage that is done.'— Agriculture Minister Neil LeClair

The cost of the disaster assistance is being shared on a 60-40 basis between the federal and provincial governments, and delivered through the federal AgriRecovery program, which is designed to help government respond quickly when natural disaster hits.

Making an announcement without delay was important, said provincial Agriculture Minister Neil LeClair, so that farmers could plow under wet potatoes, rather than taking the risk of harvesting and storing them with good potatoes.

"We are giving a per-acre payment to all producers for acres abandoned and destroyed," said LeClair.

"That helps them to get the crop at the top of the ground and get it so that frost will destroy it. It is a good amount of money and we'll have to wait and see how this unfolds. We don't know the amount of damage that is done."

It's estimated crop loss is at least 10 times normal. After an August with triple the average rainfall, post-tropical storm Hanna dumped 90 millimetres of rain on parts of the province, flooding many fields.

Harvest underway

Ducks swimming in a P.E.I. grain field in early September. (CBC)

Leclair said the compensation will encourage growers to destroy the affected areas of their fields, and reduce the risk to healthy potatoes in storage, and the P.E.I. Potato Board welcomed the speed with which the money was made available.

"Any news that we can receive some assistance in the potato industry is positive," said P.E.I. Potato Board chair Kevin MacIsaac.

"I think the important thing is that it's relatively timely. Guys are starting their main part of their harvest now, so we needed to have some announcement immediately, and that's been done today."

Farmers will also have access to existing crop insurance programs. The money is available immediately. Producers can contact the Agriculture Insurance Corporation for more information.