A system titled “pest-free places of production” (PFPP) is being developed for the potato sector of Canada’s Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.) province after discussions between federal and industry representatives.
As Dave Bedard reports in a news story published by Glacier FarmMedia Network, the Federal Agriculture Minister and P.E.I. MP, Lawrence MacAulay, recently met with the P.E.I. Potato Board to address new restrictions related to potato wart since 2021.
Potato wart, first identified in P.E.I. in 2000, led to a six-month ban on the island’s potato exports to the U.S. Although not harmful to human health, the fungus affects crop yields and potato appearance.
The U.S. resumed accepting P.E.I. potatoes for consumption in April, but field-grown seed potatoes remain banned.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) concluded its investigation into the 2021 detections and plans to collaborate with the industry on future steps, including the PFPP system.
Source: Glacier FarmMedia Network. Read the full story here
Photo: Credit Jai79 from Pixabay
