A national survey of potato wart by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) detected no more potato wart in Canada, a Dec. 23 news release says. The survey was completed ahead of schedule, the release notes.
It involved soil testing from areas across Canada that grow seed potatoes (except for Newfoundland), in order to confirm unregulated areas of the country remain free from potato wart. The release notes the survey confirms Canada’s commitment to preventing and managing the spread of this disease.
The expedited completion of the survey marks an important step in the Canadian government’s action plan to reassure international trading partners of the safety of Canadian seed potatoes, the release says. In November, potato exports to the United States from Prince Edward Island were halted after potato wart was discovered for the second year in a row on the Island.
The release says this survey was provided to the U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) on Dec. 23 and should provide reassurances the U.S. needs to safely resume the trade of fresh potatoes. The U.S. is also looking for outcomes from the CFIA investigation into the recent detections of potato wart on P.E.I. to show that appropriate mitigation measures and an ongoing monitoring plan for a clearly defined quarantined area are key in controlling the spread of potato wart.
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