PEI launches buy-back program for designated potato wart index fields

Prince Edward Island has begun a buy-back program for designated potato wart index fields in the Canadian province.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has designated 37 sites across the island as index fields, or areas where the soilborne fungus that causes the disease has been identified.

An unspecified amount of money has been set aside for the program by the PEI government. An official told CBC News that the program will be “demand-driven,” with land purchases conducted through an independent appraisal process.

Landowners interested in selling index land can apply online.

The program is part of CFIA’s National Potato Wart Response plan announced in March, the same month the agency announced the results of its 2024 National Potato Wart Survey.

Land sold through the program will not be farmed again, but could be used for “trees, energy solutions and preservation,” the government spokesman told CBC News.

“This announcement is something that has been supported by growers on PEI,” Greg Donald, PEI Potato Board general manager, said.

Disease history

Potato wart was detected in PEI in 2021 and the U.S. border completely closed to potatoes from the province. Fresh potatoes were allowed back into the U.S. in April 2022, though PEI seed potatoes are still banned.

“This buy-back program not only supports affected producers, but also strengthens our entire industry moving forward,” said Bloyce Thompson, Prince Edward Island’s Deputy Premier and Minister of Agriculture. “Purchasing index fields has been something that we have explored at great lengths in the past, and with broadened risk mitigation measures in the new National Potato Wart Response Plan, we saw an opportunity to benefit our entire industry at a time when trade is of the utmost importance.”

Since 2021, the government of PEI has invested over $40 million into the island’s potato industry, according to the province’s website.

In 2024, PEI accounted for 20% of Canada’s total potato production, with cash receipts totaling more than $828 million. More than 85,000 acres of land in the province are used for potato production.

PEI potato wart has long been a concern of the U.S. potato industry and advocacy organizations including the National Potato Council.

“Since the most recent outbreak of potato wart in PEI in 2021, NPC has been adamant that the American and Canadian governments take this issue seriously and develop comprehensive protocols to ensure the integrity of the North American potato supply,” NPC CEO Kam Quarles said in a statement. “While the buy-back program aligns with efforts to mitigate the spread of potato wart, we are concerned about the apparent voluntary nature of the program.

“Taking diseased fields offline should have occurred the moment of detection, not four years after the fact. These index fields are known vectors for possible disease transmission and should be banned from all forms of agricultural production.”

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with National Potato Council comment.