Potato wart survey comes back clean

Fungus-fraught P.E.I also gets clean bill of health

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Published: February 20, 2024

Photo: Onfokus/iStock/Getty Images

More than 2000 soil samples across Canada’s potato-producing provinces came back free of potato wart, for a clean bill of health, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said today.

The CFIA in its 2023 national potato wart survey tested for the soil-borne fungus in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.

This marks the second year the survey turned up no cases of potato wart, though the 2022 survey did not include P.E.I, which struggled with the fungus in 2021 and 2022.

In late 2021, two processing potato fields on the island were confirmed infected with potato wart.

On U.S. trade concerns, the federal government shut down fresh potato exports from the province. Most trade resumed in April 2022.

The 2021 cases were followed by confirmations in February, July and December of 2022, bringing in export restrictions and mitigation orders.

Earlier this year, the federal government asked for producer feedback on new potato wart guidance documents and plans.

About the author

Geralyn Wichers

Geralyn Wichers

Digital editor, news and national affairs

Geralyn graduated from Red River College's Creative Communications program in 2019 and launched directly into agricultural journalism with the Manitoba Co-operator. Her enterprising, colourful reporting has earned awards such as the Dick Beamish award for current affairs feature writing and a Canadian Online Publishing Award, and in 2023 she represented Canada in the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists' Alltech Young Leaders Program. Geralyn is a co-host of the Armchair Anabaptist podcast, cat lover, and thrift store connoisseur.

 

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