Rod Nickel

(Reuters) – Canada believes it can resume shipments of table potato from Prince Edward Island (PEI), to Puerto Rico’s territory in just two weeks. The US mainland will follow in the next few weeks. Partly to settle a trade dispute.

Bibeau met with U.S. Agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack in Washington, Thursday after shipments from PEI to the United States were halted in November because of U.S. concerns regarding potato wart.

Bibeau claimed Vilsack was willing to answer questions from the U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, (APHIS), to perform a risk assessment of PEI potatoes to Puerto Rico in two weeks and then a risk analysis to the United States mainland within the following weeks.

Bibeau stated to Reuters that “it gave us a lot hope.” “Because our Canadian scientists feel so secure (about safety), it is reasonable that we believe the American scientists should reach the same conclusion,” Bibeau said.

Table potatoes are the ones that can be eaten raw for their nutritional value. Bibeau stated that it will take more time to address concerns regarding potatoes’ processing and planting.

While potato wart might reduce yields in the field, it poses no danger to our health.

Vilsack’s Office did not respond immediately to our request for comment.

The tiny PEI farmers expected to export 300 million potatoes worth C$120 million (94.24 millions) to the United States this year.

Greg Donald (general manager, PEI Potato Board) said that farmers would begin to degrade potatoes within the next week.

He said, “Folks just kept hanging on hoping there would be a change at the border situation.”

Kam Quarles CEO, National Potato Council, stated that potato wart has been absent in America since the 1970s.

Quarles stated that U.S. East Coast processors and farmers rely on PEI to provide fresh and seed potatoes. The USDA shows that potato stocks in U.S. cold storage facilities located in New England dropped 29% to 29.2 Million pounds during the 12-month period ending Dec. 31.

($1 = 1.2733 Canadian dollars)