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On Wednesday, Canadian media reported on another potato wart find on the Prince Edward Island, Canada (“CFIA identifies fourth potato wart case”).
This latest find reinforces USDA’s conclusions in its recent report and the U.S. potato industry’s concerns the disease is “almost certain to be introduced” to the United States without additional mitigation measures in place. In response to the news, NPC issued the following statement:
“This latest find reinforces USDA APHIS’s determination that the extent of PEI’s potato wart infestation is likely larger than reported by Canadian authorities and, even with current mitigation measures in place, potato wart is almost certain to be introduced to other growing areas, including to U.S. potato production areas. The impact of disease spread into the U.S. would be absolutely catastrophic for American potato growers and the entire North American potato value chain that relies on foreign markets. The USDA report combined with continued discoveries of potato wart in PEI fields validates NPC’s position that the 2021 PEI export ban was entirely appropriate and our concern that reopening the export market before the completion of comprehensive testing was premature and put our industry at risk.”
