The Canadian agriculture minister and Prince Edward Island premier met with American officials on Dec. 16 to discuss the current export ban of P.E.I. potatoes to the United States due to potato wart, news releases say.
Marie-Claude Bibeau, minister of agriculture and agri-food, met with the U.S. Ambassador to Canada David Cohen. In a news release it says she emphasized the Canadian government confidence in current risk mitigation measures for P.E.I. fresh potatoes. She also detailed what actions are being taken to address the U.S.’ concerns. The two discussed the benefits of resuming trade of fresh potatoes for both sides of the border.
In a news release from the National Potato Council (NPC), it says they met with P.E.I. Premier Dennis King and a delegation from P.E.I.. The release says NPC reiterated this is a plant health issue, not a trade dispute.
“We understand that APHIS is requiring that the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) provide comprehensive data indicating where potato wart resides in P.E.I. production areas. Based on that information, CFIA and APHIS can agree on clearly defined quarantine zones, additional mitigation efforts, and comprehensive monitoring measures. We further understand that all of these requirements need to be in place to enable trade to resume safely.”
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