Canada imposed its own suspension on potato exports to the U.S.
By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com
Prince Edward Island’s potato sector continues to wait for U.S. and Canadian officials to resolve the export issue.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau suspended exports of fresh potatoes to the United States on Nov. 21 following the discovery of potato wart in two fields in October.
Potato wart poses no threat to human health but can spread through the movement of infected potatoes, soil and farm equipment.
Since the export suspension, the potato industry has been left wondering what the next steps are, said Greg Donald, general manager of the P.E.I. Potato Board.
“As an industry we haven’t received any direction about what needs to happen,” he told Farms.com. “It still doesn’t make sense.”
Part of the potato industry’s frustration comes from the suspension being announced while a plan was working successfully.
And after potato wart was first discovered in 2000, CFIA created the Potato Wart Domestic Long Term Management Plan outlining mandatory testing and surveillance activity to mitigate the spread of the disease.
“The fields in question were already under surveillance,” Donald said. “The plan is working exactly the way it’s supposed to. If the CFIA is confident in their plan, and we are too, then what changed this time?”
More than 300 million pounds of potatoes are affected by the border closure.
The potato industry needs guidance on what to do, and quickly.
“We need answers fast,” Donald said. “The Canadian market already has what it needs, and our prices are going down. Now that there’s a shortage in the U.S., their prices are going up. If the potatoes can’t go to the U.S., they’ll have to be destroyed. I don’t know how you get rid of that volume.”
P.E.I. potato advocates brought the issue to Parliament Hill.
A truck loaded with about 6,000 bags of potatoes arrived in Ottawa on Dec. 8.
Farmers and officials, including P.E.I. Premier Dennis King, handed out potatoes to citizens to raise awareness about the export issue.
Potatoes are “our biggest economic generator, and when the potato industry hurts in Prince Edward Island, everybody hurts,” Premier King said, CBC reported. “We want to come up, keep it top of mind up here in Ottawa and demonstrate again to our politicians in Ottawa just how important this is.”
Community support for potato farmers is also present in P.E.I.
Radio station Ocean 100.3FM committed to playing Bud the Spud by Stompin’ Tom Connors on repeat until 10,000 people signed a pledge of support for farmers.
On Dec. 2, Northumberland Ferries started distributing 1,000 bags of potatoes. Every passenger will receive one bag until the potatoes are gone.
And that’s just the start of it, Donald said.
“The Summerside Capitals put stickers on their helmets, and you have restaurants making December a potato month,” he said. “People are donating money that’s being used to distribute potatoes. It’s wonderful to see the community come together to support our farmers.”