Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
11/24/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 11/24/2021 14:57
Additional Information on the Potato Wart Situation
Published: Nov 24, 2021
WASHINGTON, Nov. 24, 2021- The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) commends the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) for voluntarily prohibiting export of seed and fresh potatoes from Canada's Prince Edward Island (PEI) into the United States due to the confirmed presence of Synchytrium endobioticum in that country. Synchytrium endobioticum, a fungus, is the causal agent of potato wart. Potato wart is one of the most serious diseases of potatoes in the world. The disease poses no threat to human health, but it reduces yield and makes potatoes unmarketable. It is not known to be present in the United States.
Safeguarding U.S. potato production against potato wart is a top priority for APHIS. Potato wart is both a federal quarantine pest and an Agricultural Select Agent in the United States - that is an agent that has the potential to pose a severe threat to public, animal or plant health, or to animal or plant products. It has limited capacity for natural spread but can be introduced to new areas through infected potatoes and movement of infested soil and equipment. There are limited measures to control the fungus once it is present in a field. In October 2021, (CFIA) detected and confirmed potato wart in two separate potato fields on PEI. These detections follow a confirmed detection on a separate PEI farm in 2020 and indicate that the organism is present in areas not previously known to be infested.
APHIS is working with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to protect U.S. agriculture by keeping potentially infected potato shipments from PEI out of the United States. In a step effective at midnight on November 22, 2021, APHIS asked CBP to refuse entry of all propagative and consumption shipments of potato (Solanum sp.), with or without phytosanitary certification, originating from PEI. Additionally, CBP will ensure that used farm machinery, farm tools, and farming equipment from PEI is visibly clean and free from soil to enter the United States.
APHIS's mission is to maintain a robust safeguarding system while facilitating agricultural trade. APHIS is in communication with CFIA as they continue their assessment of the potato wart distribution in PEI and evaluate potential mitigation measures.
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