Potatoes in Canada

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Potato wart detected in P.E.I. field

July 28, 2022  By Potatoes in Canada


The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has confirmed the detection of potato wart in a Prince Edward Island field.

The CFIA’s Charlottetown laboratory detected the disease’s presence as part of its ongoing investigations related to two previous detections in October 2021 and February 2022. The recent detection was from a field that is owned by a farm that produces processing potatoes for use in P.E.I., and is adjacent to one where potato wart was detected in October 2021.

“This detection of potato wart was not unexpected, as it is not uncommon to detect potato wart in associated fields during an investigation,” a CFIA spokesperson said in a statement emailed to Potatoes In Canada.

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The October 2021 detection resulted in the CFIA halting potato shipments to the U.S. from the province shortly thereafter. While table potato shipments resumed this spring, seed potato exports remain paused. The restrictions have resulted in close to 300 million pounds of potatoes destroyed, according to the P.E.I. Potato Board.

CFIA has continued to collect soil samples, with more than 17,000 soil samples collected between March 5 and June 30.

“This detection shows that the investigation process is working and is an important part of ensuring the health of our crops and protecting access to export markets.”

The CFIA says it will update the finding on its website as part of its quarterly updates, with the next update scheduled for October 2022.


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