There’s no word on any change in the status of Canada’s Prince Edward Island banned potato exports and the reopening of the U.S. border. As Nancy Russell reports for CBC News, Canada’s agriculture minister previously said March 10 might be the day she would hear from her counterpart in the United States.
Marie-Claude Bibeau met with the U.S. secretary of agriculture six weeks ago in Washington. At the time, Tom Vilsack told her it would take five to six weeks for American scientists to finish their risk assessment on shipping fresh P.E.I. potatoes into the United States.
The P.E.I. Potato Board, and many others in the industry, had been standing by, hoping for an announcement that exports would be allowed to resume. But instead, there was just a statement from Minister Bibeau’s office to CBC News:
“We recognize that the situation of restoring market access for P.E.I. table stock potatoes to the continental U.S. is extremely difficult for P.E.I. potato growers who must make decisions regarding the upcoming season. We continue to engage with APHIS and USDA to advocate for the resumption of exports for P.E.I. table stock potatoes as soon as possible,” the statement said.
Source: CBC News. Read the full story here
Photo: Marie-Claude Bibeau meeting with her American counterpart Tom Vilsack in Washington on Jan. 27. Courtesy and credit Twitter/Marie-Claude Bibeau via CBC News
