P.E.I. Potato Exports To U.S. Resuming Effective Immediately

The US Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Inspection Service (APHIS) amended its requirements for the import of table potatoes from PEI on Friday. The news comes after the Canadian Food Inspection Service announced last week that the agency would lift the ban on exporting table PEI or eating potatoes – but not seeds or processing potatoes – on condition. Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau spoke with Mainstreet host Matt Rainnie on Friday afternoon, shortly after the news broke. “It’s good news for our table potatoes to see the market open for the mainland in the US,” Bibeau said. “The potato industry is so important, it’s part of your identity… when we can see [potatoes] leaving the island and going to the US, it will be wonderful “. Island farmers have said about 300 million pounds of potatoes will have to be destroyed this winter. Friday’s announcement also means that bags shipped to Puerto Rico will no longer need to be labeled, Bibeau said, and shipments are no longer limited in size. Skye View Farms’ Alex Docherty and his father watch as a truckload of potatoes is thrown into a field to be destroyed. Island farmers said they expected to destroy about 300 million pounds of potatoes this winter. (Submitted by Alex Docherty)
“We can now ship these potatoes in installments, or in bulk, so this is good news for … farmers on the island.” Potato seed exports are not expected to resume until 2023. Bibeau said the investigation is ongoing and Ottawa will continue to work with seed producers to see how they can be supported in the interim. “It’s extremely difficult for seed growers, but let’s get the good news for table stock growers today,” he said. “Potato seeds are for planting, so the risk for them is higher – so we need to complete the research. We will continue to work closely, see how we can support them in terms of last year’s loss and also see what opportunities they can to have and how we can support you… we will work together to find a clear way forward “.

Admission requirements

The CFIA said last week that the United States would require PEI potatoes, as well as seed potatoes used to produce them, “come from fields that are not known to be infected with potato warts or are linked to known infestations.” “It’s extremely difficult for seed growers, but let’s get the good news for table growers today,” said Agriculture and Food Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau. (Justin Tang / The Canadian Press)
Other conditions stipulate that PEI potatoes must be:

Washed and mushroomed. Rated to meet US No. 1 standard. It was formally inspected by the National Plant Protection Agency of Canada and certified to meet USDA requirements.

Shipments of fresh potatoes to the United States and its territory in Puerto Rico, and eventually to the rest of Canada, were suspended following the discovery of potato warts in two fields on the island in October. The CFIA suspended shipments of seeds and table potatoes to the United States in November, prompted by a U.S. threat that it would act if Canada did not do so. Canadian officials were concerned that a US move would be more difficult to reverse.
Warts are a fungus that deforms potatoes so that they are non-marketable and reduces yields, but does not pose any risk to human health. We will believe it all and see it all when the cargo starts moving south and reaches the border, the destination where people are looking for it. — John Visser
John Visser, chairman of the PEI Potato Board, said farmers were relieved they could continue to ship to the US. He said orders have already started coming. “I guess that just shows that science has worked since then,” he said. “Hopefully there will be no surprises. We will believe it all and see it all when the cargo starts going south and reaches the border, the destination where people are looking for it.” The PEI Potato Board estimates that trade with the US would be $ 120 million this season. Some good news for us this weekend – PEI Potatoes Can Be Shipped To Our Customers And Consumers In The US Again! 🎉 pic.twitter.com/npTOhc5Yg5 – @ PEIPotatoes

title: “P.E.I. Potato Exports To U.S. Resuming Effective Immediately " ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-07” author: “Kenneth Parrino”

The US Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Inspection Service (APHIS) amended its requirements for the import of table potatoes from PEI on Friday. The news comes after the Canadian Food Inspection Service announced last week that the agency would lift the ban on exporting table PEI or eating potatoes – but not seeds or processing potatoes – on condition. Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau spoke with Mainstreet host Matt Rainnie on Friday afternoon, shortly after the news broke. “It’s good news for our table potatoes to see the market open for the mainland in the US,” Bibeau said. “The potato industry is so important, it’s part of your identity… when we can see [potatoes] leaving the island and going to the US, it will be wonderful “. Island farmers have said about 300 million pounds of potatoes will have to be destroyed this winter. Friday’s announcement also means that bags shipped to Puerto Rico will no longer need to be labeled, Bibeau said, and shipments are no longer limited in size. Skye View Farms’ Alex Docherty and his father watch as a truckload of potatoes is thrown into a field to be destroyed. Island farmers said they expected to destroy about 300 million pounds of potatoes this winter. (Submitted by Alex Docherty)
“We can now ship these potatoes in installments, or in bulk, so this is good news for … farmers on the island.” Potato seed exports are not expected to resume until 2023. Bibeau said the investigation is ongoing and Ottawa will continue to work with seed producers to see how they can be supported in the interim. “It’s extremely difficult for seed growers, but let’s get the good news for table stock growers today,” he said. “Potato seeds are for planting, so the risk for them is higher – so we need to complete the research. We will continue to work closely, see how we can support them in terms of last year’s loss and also see what opportunities they can to have and how we can support you… we will work together to find a clear way forward “.

Admission requirements

The CFIA said last week that the United States would require PEI potatoes, as well as seed potatoes used to produce them, “come from fields that are not known to be infected with potato warts or are linked to known infestations.” “It’s extremely difficult for seed growers, but let’s get the good news for table growers today,” said Agriculture and Food Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau. (Justin Tang / The Canadian Press)
Other conditions stipulate that PEI potatoes must be:

Washed and mushroomed. Rated to meet US No. 1 standard. It was formally inspected by the National Plant Protection Agency of Canada and certified to meet USDA requirements.

Shipments of fresh potatoes to the United States and its territory in Puerto Rico, and eventually to the rest of Canada, were suspended following the discovery of potato warts in two fields on the island in October. The CFIA suspended shipments of seeds and table potatoes to the United States in November, prompted by a U.S. threat that it would act if Canada did not do so. Canadian officials were concerned that a US move would be more difficult to reverse.
Warts are a fungus that deforms potatoes so that they are non-marketable and reduces yields, but does not pose any risk to human health. We will believe it all and see it all when the cargo starts moving south and reaches the border, the destination where people are looking for it. — John Visser
John Visser, chairman of the PEI Potato Board, said farmers were relieved they could continue to ship to the US. He said orders have already started coming. “I guess that just shows that science has worked since then,” he said. “Hopefully there will be no surprises. We will believe it all and see it all when the cargo starts going south and reaches the border, the destination where people are looking for it.” The PEI Potato Board estimates that trade with the US would be $ 120 million this season. Some good news for us this weekend – PEI Potatoes Can Be Shipped To Our Customers And Consumers In The US Again! 🎉 pic.twitter.com/npTOhc5Yg5 – @ PEIPotatoes