Dec 5, 2023CFIA announces implementation plans to mitigate PEI risk
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency announced its process for implementing plans to mitigate the risk of Prince Edward Island potato wart spreading to the U.S. during last week’s Potato Association of America Certification Section Meeting in Washington, D.C.
During the next year, the agency expects to complete a review of the risk management documents, available online for public comment. The agency also plans to draft a replacement for the current Long Term Management Plan, finalize a new Long Term Management Plan, and negotiate a change in import regulations with USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).
“Based on the comment periods and time it will take to review and write new planning documents, we are looking at January 2025 at a minimum before implementation begins on the CFIA side,” National Potato Council CEO Kam Quarles said in a news release. “January 2025 will be more than three years after the current crisis began in November 2021. That’s three years before any durable changes will be made by the federal government in Canada or by USDA in order to mitigate this ongoing risk.
“In the meantime, potatoes from PEI continue to be shipped to the U.S. without any additional measures in place to address the threat APHIS has identified.”
