WASHINGTON, Feb. 8, 2022 – United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack right this moment announced the resumption of tablestock potatoes from Prince Edward Island (PEI), Canada, into Puerto Rico. USDA has trot the importation of those potatoes below specified stipulations poses itsy-bitsy possibility of introducing potato wart disease, a soil-borne disease that reduces yield and marketability, to Puerto Rico.
“It is basic that we imperfect our agricultural exchange choices on sound science,” Vilsack acknowledged. “After pondering Puerto Rico’s low possibility for potato wart due to the climate stipulations, as smartly because the shortcoming of a industrial potato manufacturing exchange on the island, we’re assured that with appropriate mitigations in put this exchange can resume safely, and the U.S. potato exchange will stay actual.”
Canadian authorities had voluntarily suspended exports of all potatoes for consumption and planting from PEI following a most smartly-liked detection of potato wart disease. Potato wart is now now not known to occur in the U.S. and there are no remedies on hand for its alter.
Starting up February 9, PEI can resume exporting tablestock potatoes in accordance with particular USDA requirements and Canadian Meals Inspection Agency mitigations.
