Question Period Note: POTATO WART ON PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

Q1 – What do growers have to do to meet the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s regulatory requirements? Q2 – Will Prince Edward Island seed potatoes be allowed to resume movement to the United States and domestically from Prince Edward Island? Q3 – Will the Government of Canada review its Ministerial Order to lift or relax the requirements? Q4– How does the Government of Canada support potato farmers through federal programs? Q5 – How is the Canadian Food Inspection Agency using Government funding to help prevent potato wart spread in Canada?

R.1 - Potato wart is a regulated pest in Canada and many other countries. Control measures are required to help contain, control and prevent the spread including surveillance, biosecurity and traceability.

The new National Potato Wart Response Plan enhances risk mitigation measures to minimize the impact of potato wart on Canadian industry and keep trade open by helping prevent potato wart from spreading. R.2 - Domestic movement of seed potatoes from Prince Edward Island is restricted under the Potato Wart Order and is only allowed following a case-by-case evaluation. Currently two farms can move seed potatoes domestically. R.3 - At this time, the Potato Wart Order remains in place. It is an important legislative tool to control the movement of potatoes and other regulated things in a way that helps contain, control and prevent the spread of potato wart within and out of Prince Edward Island.

There is currently no timeline in place to review this Potato Wart Order. R.4 - Potato farmers have access to a suite of Business Risk Management programs including AgriStability and AgriInvest to help them manage income declines at the whole-farm level. Participating producers also have access to the AgriInsurance program for their production and quality losses.

Under the Potato Wart Compensation Regulations, compensation may be awarded for certain losses resulting from treatment, prohibition, restriction or disposition required because of the pest. R.5 - To date, the Government has invested more than $24 million to support the development of tools, scientific research and an expansion of surveillance activities to help manage and prevent the spread of potato wart in Canada.

These investments help maintain public confidence in Canada’s potato industry at home and abroad.

Potato wart is a soil-borne fungal disease that can remain dormant in a field for more than 40 years. It is spread through the movement of infested tubers, soil and farm equipment. It reduces yield and can make potatoes unmarketable but does not pose a risk to human health or food safety.

Control measures required to help prevent the spread of potato wart include surveillance, biosecurity and traceability. Potatoes produced in the affected fields must be disposed of or processed in a way that would not spread the disease. There is no rapid detection method for potato wart and there are no chemical treatments that can be used to eradicate it.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has developed the new National Potato Wart Response Plan to replace the Potato Wart Domestic Long Term Management Plan (2009) \The new National Potato Wart Response Plan which is now being implemented in Prince Edward Island (PEI).

Timeline for most recent detections

Since 2000, potato wart has been detected in 37 fields, across all three counties of PEI and resulted in the closure of the United States Border to PEI potatoes.

In 2022, the United States reopened its border to imports of PEI potatoes for consumption (excluding seed potatoes that cannot be exported to US) through the issuance of a federal order that specified conditions for import including a request for increased surveillance of unrestricted fields in PEI.

The 2024 national survey saw more than 2200 soil samples collected from across Canada. Samples were collected from seed potato fields, the highest risk pathway for potato wart spread and establishment. The CFIA analyzed all soil samples, and the disease was not detected.

Current management program

The current program helps PEI seed potato farms operate and grow seed potatoes for use within the province and supports the continued movement of table stock and processing potatoes to other provinces. Seed potatoes are permitted to move out of the province when specific criteria are met. At present, two farms meet the criteria to do so.

In spring 2025, the CFIA released the new National Potato Wart Response Plan to replace the 2009 Potato Wart Domestic Long Term Management Plan.

The CFIA is working with interested growers to develop a program for Pest Free Places of Production and Pest Free Production Sites in PEI to support off island movement of regulated things including potatoes with soil (i.e. seed potatoes or unwashed tablestock or processing potatoes) and other regulated things that move with soil (e.g. plants for planting, including sod). Interest has primarily been from producers of non-potato commodities.

Compensation

The Potato Wart Compensation Regulations were enacted in 2003 and may provide compensation for certain losses resulting from treatment, prohibition, restriction or disposition required because of the pest. The Prince Edward Island Potato Board has indicated that the Potato Wart Compensation Regulations are dated and should be reviewed following the finalization of the new National Potato Wart Response Plan. The CFIA has committed to reviewing the compensation regulations as part of the next steps.

Federal Programs to Support Potato Producers

1) Business Risk Management Programs

Business risk management (BRM) programs – including AgriStability, AgriInvest, and AgriInsurance are joint Federal-Provincial-Territorial (FPT) programs that are in place to help producers manage risks that threaten the viability of their farms and provide protection against different types of income and production losses.

The full range of BRM programs is available to support impacts on potato producers in PEI. These are 60:40 cost shared programs between the federal government and the province.

2) AAFC Research

AAFC scientists are studying potato wart to help address pathogen’s threat to Canadian potato production. The research supports the development of a range of management strategies to help Canadian producers control the disease.

• The Government of Canada is committed to helping contain, control and prevent the potential spread of potato wart and to protecting the agricultural sector of the Canadian economy.

• To date, the Government has invested more than $24 million to help prevent the spread of potato wart on Prince Edward Island and minimize the impact on Canadian farmers' access to international markets.

• The Canadian Food Inspection Agency, with growers, provinces and trading partners, developed the new National Potato Wart Response Plan, which is now being implemented in Prince Edward Island.