Apr 26, 2013Seed potato harmonization program announced
The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced the start of a State National Harmonization Program for seed potatoes. The program is a collaborative effort between APHIS, the National Potato Council (NPC), the U.S. Potato Board (USPB), the National Plant Board and state seed certification agencies.
Discussions leading to the new program were initiated at a meeting in 2002.
Currently, 12 states participate in the program, representing 98.5 percent of all U.S. seed potato acreage. Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming are participants, with New York, California and Alaska in the process of completing requirements for entry in the program.
USPB and NPC issued a joint press release that stated:
The announcement by APHIS of the implementation of the State National Harmonization Program (SNHP) culminates years of hard work by our state and national partners and provides a sound foundation upon which the industry can demonstrate the effectiveness of establishing harmonized national standards. The SNHP provides a format for the potato industry and state seed certification agencies to voluntarily adopt standards and management procedures for non-quarantine pests of concern, which would be universally applied to seed potatoes moving between the various states, between the U.S. and Canada, and shipped to other foreign trading partners.””
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