- U.S. Potato Industry Supports CFIA Action to Protect Canadian Provinces and U.S. After Additional Disease Detections
- USDA Secretary Vilsack Statement on Suspending Movement of Potatoes from PEI
- New Podcast: Signed Operational Work Plan Signals Positive Momentum for Mexico Fresh Market Access
- Ag Groups Warn EPA About Impact of Pesticide Registration Changes
- What to Expect at Potato Expo 2022
- Last Call to Donate Items to the Potato LEAF Auction
- Support Potato LEAF this #GivingTuesday!
- Happy Thanksgiving
- What are You Most Looking Forward to at Potato Expo 2022?
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U.S. Potato Industry Supports CFIA Action to Protect Canadian Provinces and U.S. After Additional Disease Detections
On Monday, the National Potato Council and grower organizations throughout the United States welcomed the announcement by Canada’s Acting Chief Plant Health Officer, David Bailey, to prevent the spread of potato wart from Prince Edward Island (PEI) by restricting the movement of PEI potatoes to other Canadian provinces and the U.S.
As of midnight Nov. 22, shipments of PEI seed potatoes to other Canadian provinces were suspended and enhanced measures for cleaning other potatoes from PEI were implemented. For the U.S., all exports of potatoes from PEI were suspended until further notice. Additionally, equipment used in fields in PEI now face new restrictions before crossing into the U.S.
“The U.S. potato industry appreciates CFIA for acting quickly and recognizing the dire threat to the U.S. and Canadian potato industries should potato wart be spread beyond PEI,” said NPC President and Maine potato grower Dominic LaJoie.
Should potato wart be transmitted to the United States, the U.S. potato industry would likely lose access to all international fresh potato markets, costing the industry over $225 million in annual sales.
“We appreciate the steadfast support of Secretary Vilsack and the entire USDA APHIS team in addressing this virulent disease. The U.S. industry stands ready to engage with APHIS, CFIA and the Canadian industry to ensure that science-based measures are maintained to mitigate disease risk and productively address trade between the two countries,” said Jared Balcom, Vice President of Trade Affairs for NPC.
The announcement comes after potato wart was confirmed on October 1 and 14, 2021 on two PEI farms where potatoes were being grown for processing. On November 2, 2021, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced the suspension of the movement of seed potatoes from PEI to the United States.
In response to that limited action, last week NPC and 13 state potato organizations sent a letter to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack asking for the U.S. government’s support to prevent the spread of potato wart to the United States by suspending the importation of all potatoes grown in PEI, not just seed potatoes.
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USDA Secretary Vilsack Statement on Suspending Movement of Potatoes from PEI
In a statement issued on Monday, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack commended Canada for implementing the necessary phytosanitary measures to safeguard against the transmission of potato wart disease from Prince Edward Island to the United States.
“I appreciate Canada’s action to suspend the movement of all potatoes from Prince Edward Island to the United States,” wrote Secretary Vilsack. “Our risk assessment demonstrated that this action is necessary to protect U.S. potato producers from possible exposure to the Federally designated select agent Synchytrium endobioticum, commonly known as potato wart. We look forward to working with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency as they delimit the infestation and trace the sources so that appropriate mitigation measures can be imposed and trade restrictions relaxed.”
After learning of the Canadian government’s decision to restrict the movement of potatoes out of PEI, NPC and 13 state potato organizations sent a letter to Secretary Vilsack thanking him and his department for quickly addressing this significant threat to the industry.
They wrote, “Recognizing this potential impact and the clear evidence through repeated detections that PEI’s potato wart disease situation is not under control, we are strongly supportive of USDA’s efforts to enhance CFIA’s measures to limit risk from PEI potatoes until the situation can be fully ascertained and mitigated.”
While respecting the difficult situation facing potato growers on PEI due to this threat, they wrote that as additional information becomes available, “the U.S. industry stands ready to engage with APHIS, CFIA and the Canadian industry to assess appropriate measures for risk mitigation.”
The full letter can be found here.
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New Podcast: Signed Operational Work Plan Signals Positive Momentum for Mexico Fresh Market Access
In early November, Mexico's National Service for Agricultural Health, Food Safety, and Agri-Quality (SENASICA) published the Phytosanitary Requirement Sheet for U.S. potato imports to the entirety of Mexico. Late last week, NPC’s CEO Kam Quarles and Potatoes USA’s Chief Marketing Officer John Toaspern called into the Eye On Potatoes podcast to announce another important step that was taken to fully reopen the market for U.S. fresh potatoes: an operational work plan that was signed by Mexico and the United States.
For more about that announcement, listen and subscribe here.
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Ag Groups Warn EPA About Impact of Pesticide Registration Changes
In a letter this week to EPA Administrator Michael Regan, NPC and 89 agriculture and pest control organizations urged the agency to avoid greater pesticide registration or label restrictions that could exacerbate product shortages or lead to potentially catastrophic market disruptions.
The group writes it is “gravely concerned with the possibility of EPA making registration changes that would further disrupt the supply of available herbicides. If the Agency makes registration changes that greatly undermine the value of products or impose additional use conditions, growers may have to transition tens of millions of acres to alternative seed and pesticide products to meet production needs on critically short notice. Many farmers who have already placed significant product orders expecting certain use conditions could be forced to rapidly reorder new seed and pesticide products at significant cost. This, in turn, could lead to product shortages of alternative herbicides that are relied on by growers of other crops. Chaotic supply disruptions could also have unforeseen adverse environmental impacts.”
The full letter is available here.
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What to Expect at Potato Expo 2022
Potato Expo 2022’s live, in-person event will bring together more than 160 exhibitors, growers, and U.S. and global industry partners for our first gathering in two years. The health and safety of the potato industry is important to us, and, as the host of Potato Expo, we at the National Potato Council will always follow all federal, state, and local laws designed to keep people safe.
NPC will continue to evaluate and expand our health safety protocols as medical recommendations evolve and will update attendees whenever anything changes. Please visit our Health and Safety page for the latest information we have about masking, vaccination policies, and other FAQs to help answer questions about this year’s show.
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Last Call to Donate Items to the Potato LEAF Auction
The Potato Leadership, Education, and Advancement Foundation’s (Potato LEAF) is still seeking auction items for both a live and silent auction, but time is running out to make your contribution. Submissions close on November 30, so make your donation today!
Potato LEAF is accepting donations such as: items, services, or experiences valuing $50 or greater; and donations such as product, equipment, sporting event packages, unique experiences, vacation experiences, etc. Click here to learn more.
Thanks for your support of the future leaders of the U.S. potato industry!
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Support Potato LEAF this #GivingTuesday!
This year on #GivingTuesday, consider contributing to the future of the potato industry. Here are a few of the ways you can support Potato LEAF:
No donation is too small, and there are countless ways to support, so keep Potato LEAF in mind and donate on November 30!
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Happy Thanksgiving
From all of us here at NPC, we wish you a very happy Thanksgiving.
Our office will be closed Thursday and Friday this week as we celebrate the holiday with our families.
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What are You Most Looking Forward to at Potato Expo 2022?
Here's what a few growers have to say...
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Send an email to [email protected] and let us know what you are most looking forward to at Potato Expo 2022, and include a photo of you on your farm or in your office.
Everyone who sends in a quote and photo by Dec. 1 will be entered to win a suite upgrade at the Anaheim Marriott!
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