Dec 15, 2008Alberta Seed One Step Closer to U.S. Entry
The Canadian government is making progress towards regaining market access for Alberta seed potato exports to the United States. The Canada-U.S. Potato Committee has put forward a resolution as the basis for the USDA’s modifications on its import requirements for Canadian seed potatoes. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is working with Alberta potato producers to meet these requirements in order to resume normal trade with the United States, according to CFIA.
Currently, Alberta is not eligible to export seed potatoes to the United States. The revised U.S. import requirements intend to allow the import of Alberta seed potatoes once the CFIA completes an ongoing potato cyst nematode (PCN) delimiting survey in Alberta and all results are negative.
As per the PCN Phytosanitary Guidelines, if PCN is detected in delimiting survey samples, appropriate regulatory actions will be taken. Resulting activities can range from trace back/trace-forward investigations to further delimitation depending on the details of the find. If this situation were to occur, CFIA and USDA will meet to establish the response and conditions for the movement of seed potatoes destined to the U.S.
Seed potatoes from all other Canadian provinces, except Alberta and any regulated areas, remain eligible for export to the United States provided PCN surveys are carried out in accordance with the PCN Phytosanitary Guidelines and all results are negative. According to the newly revised U.S. import requirements, soil samples associated with tuber samples of 500 tubers or less will now need to be completed by Dec. 31.
CFIA is taking all actions necessary to fully comply with the newly revised U.S. import requirements, according to the agency. CFIA also has taken measures to expedite the analysis of all PCN soil samples and has prioritized analyses associated with the on-going delimiting survey in Alberta.
The revised U.S. import requirements will remain in place until the PCN Phytosanitary Guidelines are amended. This revision will take place once the final report from the Independent International Science Panel on PCN is submitted in December. At that time, CFIA and USDA, in full consultation with industry representatives, will work together to make the necessary amendments to the present Guidelines.
Canada remains committed to preventing the spread of PCN while working to ensure continued market access for Canadian seed potatoes.
