News on Potato Trade from Canada

In the fall of 2021, the detection of potato wart disrupted sales of Prince Edward Island (PEI) potatoes to the United States, threatening the livelihoods of thousands of Islanders.

To help offset rising food costs, four farms on Prince Edward Island are opening their potato storages to Islanders. Visitors are invited to help themselves and pick unwashed potatoes directly from the pile in storage. The event occurs Saturday, March 11th, from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm.

The World Potato Congress Inc. presents its sixth webinar this year on December 13, 2022 at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (USA/Canada)

The minister of agriculture of Prince Edward Island (PEI), Canada has tabled legislation that would give the provincial government a lead role in trying to prevent the spread of potato wart in the province.

With testing completed on 5,000 Prince Edward Island (PEI) soil samples collected by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency from March to June no potato wart has been found.

Fields, where potato wart has been found, should be taken permanently out of any type of agricultural production, a P.E.I. legislative committee is recommending.

The P.E.I. Potato Board said it is 'no surprise' that there has been a third detection of potato wart, this one found in soil samples taken in October 2021.

The United States has agreed to let imports of Prince Edward Island table stock potatoes to Puerto Rico resume. United States Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack made the announcement in a news release last week.

The Government of Canada is committed to restoring market access for PEI fresh potatoes to the United States and supporting PEI farmers impacted by trade disruptions.

P.E.I.'s agriculture minister says he is still hopeful potatoes in limbo won't have to be destroyed, but indications suggest restrictions on Island spuds will last into the new year.

With its roots firmly planted on PEI soil for over 74 years, Johnston’s Homestyle proudly supports local farmers while they face challenges during supply chain restrictions.

The Government of Canada is working with the Province of Prince Edward Island (PEI) and industry to support PEI farmers following the recent suspension of certification of fresh potatoes from PEI to the United States.

The Prince Edward Island Potato Board is shocked by the decision by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to suspend the certification of exports of all potatoes from Prince Edward Island to the United States of America.

Today, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced measures to prevent the spread of potato wart from Prince Edward Island (PEI). Potato wart is a plant disease that poses no threat to human health or food safety, but is known to decrease potato yield.

CBC reports that the US border has again closed to Prince Edward Island seed potatoes after potato wart was found in two P.E.I. fields.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has lifted its voluntary suspension of export certification for P.E.I. seed potatoes, allowing trade to the United States to resume.

A couple of seed potato companies from Quebec, together with the Centre de Recherche Les Buissons (CRLB) have started an initiative to export high quality seed potatoes to Latin America and the Caribbean.

The potato disease Dickeya can be detected by laboratory testing — but is there enough of it present to justify the higher costs? That is the question facing Canadian Seed Potato Growers exporting to the United States who are increasingly asked for the test.