The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has confirmed the presence of potato wart, a disease affecting cultivated potato caused by a microscopic soil-borne fungus. The disease was identified in two fields on separate farms Prince Edward Island province.
While potato wart poses no threat to human health or food safety, it reduces yield and can make potatoes unmarketable.
The Agency noted that it has placed the fields under quarantine and is carrying out additional control measures as part of Canada's potato wart long-term management plan. These measures include controlling the movement of equipment and soil as well as cleaning and disinfecting machinery to prevent spread of the pest.
To mitigate the spread of this disease, the potatoes produced in the fields will be destroyed. The CFIA, with the PEI government and PEI industry associations are working together to control this pest and inform various stakeholders of the situation.
The potato wart long-term management plan was established after the initial finding in Canada in 2000 and has been used to respond to previous detections of the disease. It includes regulatory requirements to effectively manage detections and prevent trade disruptions in the event of future detections. The last detection of potato wart occurred in 2007.
