CFIA targeting spring 2024 for draft of new potato wart response plan 

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is targeting the spring of 2024 to have a draft of the new national potato wart response plan ready for the public to see. 

The agency is looking for feedback on three new risk-management documents connected to potato wart, aimed at reducing the chance it will crop up again and devastate the industry.

Detections of the fungus in late 2021 resulted in the Canadian government banning fresh P.E.I. table potatoes from being sold into the United States market for four months.

Hundreds of millions of kilograms of Island potatoes had to be destroyed over the winter that followed, and there are still restrictions on seed potatoes being sold out of province. 

In a statement posted in late December, the CFIA said the feedback will help it draft an updated plan to replace the current Potato Wart Domestic Long Term Management Plan.

The three documents focus on biosecurity, seed potato production, and what to do with fields where potato wart has been detected. 

"The one for seed potato production is: 'Should seed potato production be permitted on fields restricted for potato wart in Prince Edward Island?'" said Patricia McAllister, acting director of potato program response for CFIA.

"The next one is really looking at field categorization, and should we be reconsidering how we are categorizing fields when they are associated with potato wart detection in a field?" McAllister said.

"Then the third one is really looking at how we have been managing potato wart more broadly."

McAllister said there is also work being done to allow more seed potatoes to be exported from the Island. 

"The United States has prohibited the import of P.E.I. seed potatoes, so that export market is currently not available to P.E.I. producers," she said. 

"But there are other countries where we are able to meet export requirements, and seed potatoes are leaving Prince Edward Island to some of those markets for this crop season." 

She added that two Island farms have met conditions that let them move seed potatoes off Island, "but our work right now is to allow additional seed potato farms that meet specific requirements to move product and we're working with the P.E.I. Potato Board on that right now."

McAllister said the goal is to have the draft of the new national response plan ready by early spring for public comment, and finalized by summer. Then the agency would work with the P.E.I. industry on implementation timelines.