NewsJudge: U.S. illegally quarantined some Idaho potato fields

Judge: U.S. illegally quarantined some Idaho potato fields

-

A federal judge has ruled that the U.S. government illegally quarantined some Idaho potato fields infested with a microscopic pest that could threaten the state’s $1.2 billion potato industry.

But U.S. District Judge Edward Lodge left the restrictions in place because lifting them could lead to quarantines across a state that produces a third of the nation’s potatoes.

The discovery of the pale cyst nematode in 2006 was the pest’s first appearance in the United States and temporarily shut down some of Idaho’s overseas exports. The worms feed at the roots of potato plants.

Some farmers sued in 2015 to end the restrictions.

The judge decided last week that the federal government rolled out the quarantine without sufficient public input. His order makes the rules temporary until U.S. officials redo the process.

Source: Financial Post

Trending This Week

Late blight on potato leafs

Study Reveals Potential for Genetically Modified Potatoes to Combat Late Blight Threat

0
Potato growers facing the relentless threat of late blight caused by Phytophthora infestans may soon have a more resilient option, thanks to groundbreaking research...
Potato chips spilling out of a bag

Cucumber Potato Chips Set to Crunch Their Way to $47.9 Billion by 2034

0
The global cucumber potato chips market is on track for impressive growth, projected to soar from $38.1 billion in 2025 to an estimated $47.9...

Five Tips to Win the Late Season Storage Game

As the storage season stretches into its final months, the stakes get higher. By now, even the best-maintained potatoes have been through months of dormancy,...

Warning: Potatoes’ Silent Profit Killer Hitting Hard

From aphids to moisture stress, verticillium, and countless other threats, potato growers constantly battle yield robbers that keep them up at night. Yet, strangely, there’s...

What One Road in New Brunswick Shows About the Future of Potato Farming

0
After a long day in the sun at a late-summer field day, my colleague Jeff Douglas and I grabbed a booth at a local...