Diamond Hill Farms v. Canada (Minister of Agriculture)

Diamond Hill Farms v. Canada (Minister of Agriculture)
Court (s) Database
Federal Court Decisions
Date
2005-11-30
Neutral citation
2005 FC 1624
File numbers
P-76-92
Decision Content
Date: 20051130
Docket: P-76-92
Citation: 2005 FC 1624
BETWEEN:
DIAMOND HILL FARMS
Appellant
and
THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE
Respondent
REASONS FOR ORDER
PHELAN J.
[1] This is an appeal pursuant to section 40 of the Plant Protection Act, S.C. 1990, c. 22 (the "Act") regarding the disposition by the Respondent Minister of the Appellant's claim for compensation under the Act and the Plant Quarantine Regulations, SOR/91-606.
[2] The Appellant's complaint, in a nutshell, is that he should be compensated for 100% of his losses, rather than the 80% of certain permitted losses; and that he should be compensated for the costs of pesticides used in the destruction of his crop.
[3] This case has a somewhat different twist to the majority of cases arising out of the quarantine of PEI potatoes due to the suspected PVYn virus (tobacco veinal necrosis strain of potato virus Y). In the Appellant's case, the 1990 crop of potatoes was still in the field when he was ordered to destroy the crop by using chemicals for "top-kill".
[4] The Appellant complains that the destruction of his crop was unnecessary because it was ultimately determined that his crop did not have the virus. He claims that he suffered the crop loss due to faulty science by the Respondent's officials. This might be the subject of a different claim against the Respondent but it cannot be part of this appeal.
[5] The Appellant was paid $87,000 under the formula established in the Plant Quarantine Regulations. Section 16(1) of the Regulations limits the loss payable to "an amount not exceeding 80 per cent of the value of the plant or other matter destroyed".
[6] The Appellant's compensation base was calculated on the basis of his measured fields area times the permitted maximum of $2,500 per hectare. There is no provision in the Regulations to permit inclusion of the cost of chemicals used for destruction of crops. He received the maximum compensation permitted under the Regulations.
[7] Therefore, given the limits on compensation imposed by the Regulations, this appeal must be dismissed.
[8] There will be no award of costs against the Appellant despite having lost this appeal.
"Michael L. Phelan"
DEPUTY ASSESSOR
PLANT PROTECTION REGISTRAR OF APPEALS
NAME OF COUNSEL AND SOLICITORS OF RECORD
DOCKET: P-76-92
STYLE OF CAUSE: Diamond Hill Farms
and
The Minister of Agriculture
PLACE OF HEARING: Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
DATE OF HEARING: November 22, 2005
REASONS FOR ORDER: The Honourable Mr. Justice Phelan, Deputy Assessor
DATED: November 30, 2005
APPEARANCES:
Hollis Newson
FOR THE APPELLANT
Sandra Doucette
FOR THE RESPONDENT
SOLICITORS OF RECORD:
N/A
FOR THE APPELLANT
JOHN H. SIMS, Q.C.
Deputy Attorney General of Canada
Ottawa, Ontario
FOR THE RESPONDENT