P.E.I. potato ban could be lifted within 2 weeks, minister says
CBC
Canada's agriculture minister says she's optimistic that shipments of Prince Edward Island potatoes will start to head to Puerto Rico within two weeks, and mainland U.S. shortly after that.
Marie-Claude Bibeau and P.E.I. MP Lawrence MacAulay were in Washington on Thursday meeting with the U.S. secretary of agriculture.
Bibeau said the meeting went "very well."
"We had a very important discussion, obviously on potato wart, and on a path forward to reopen the market to table stock potatoes, starting with Puerto Rico in very short notice."
On Nov. 21, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency announced it was suspending the fresh potato trade to the U.S. and Puerto Rico following the discovery of potato wart in two Island fields — bringing exports to a sudden halt, usually worth about $120 million per year to the P.E.I. economy.
More than 80 per cent of Puerto Rico's potatoes would usually come from P.E.I.
Bibeau said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack gave clear instruction to his department to proceed with analysis of P.E.I. potatoes "in an expedited way."
"I'm hopeful that we can see the market of Puerto Rico for table stock potatoes reopening within one, maybe two, weeks," Bibeau said. "He also gave directions to do it as fast as possible for the mainland."
More to come.
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