Ban on Turkish potatoes due to fears of potato wart disease spread

The former Soviet republic of Georgia in the Caucasus region is reportedly banning the import of potatoes from Turkey for a three-month period because of the danger of the spread of potato wart disease (or black scab; potato canker). Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili has already signed this order. Potato wart is considered a most serious and devastating disease for potatoes. Synchytrium endobioticum is a chytrid fungus that causes the disease. It also infects some other plants of the Solanum genus, though potato is the only cultivated host. that causes the potato wart disease. It also infects some other plants of the Solanum genus, though the potato is the only cultivated host. If the soil is infected with a diseased potato, the soil cannot be used for cropping for 20 years. Last year Georgia produced about 250,000 tonnes of potatoes, and Agriculture Minister Levan Davitashvili said that “the demands of the Georgian population are fully satisfied with the current Georgian potato production. Thus we want to reduce our dependence on import as the country has a 100 percent self-sufficiency.” (Source: Agenda.ge)