(Washington) The United States Department of Agriculture has agreed to allow the resumption of potato shipments from Prince Edward Island to Puerto Rico.
Posted at 4:18 p.m.
Exports to the United States have been suspended since November following the discovery of potato wart in fields in two regions of Prince Edward Island.
The parasitic fungus spreads through the movement of infected potatoes, soil and farm equipment. Potato wart poses no threat to human health, but potatoes are disfigured and the pest can significantly reduce crop yields.
PHOTO SHAUN BEST, REUTERS ARCHIVES
A farmer applies pesticides to his potato field in Park Corner, Prince Edward Island. Exports to the United States have been suspended since November following the discovery of potato wart in fields in two regions of Prince Edward Island.
The Canadian government itself imposed the ban on table potato exports from the island, to avoid the US ban. The United States then indicated that it had to review the mitigation efforts put in place in Canada before imports could resume.
Puerto Rico typically gets 80-85% of its potatoes from Prince Edward Island, which accounts for about one-quarter of the province’s potato exports to the United States.
It is not known when Washington will make a decision on imports to the continental United States or on the sale of seed potatoes from Prince Edward Island.