CFIA Launched a Final Public Consultation on a Proposed National Potato Wart Response Plan
A final public consultation on a proposed National Potato Wart Response Plan (Response Plan) has been initiated by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). To help contain, control, and stop the spread of potato wart, this Response Plan incorporates new steps to enhance the Agency’s procedures. The present Potato Wart Domestic Long-Term Management Plan will be replaced by this.
This consultation is a crucial phase in the continuous evaluation of the CFIA’s potato wart strategy. Stakeholder input, international standards, and current science served as the foundation for both this study and the work done to create the Response Plan. The Response Plan will be reassessed and revised to reflect current scientific findings and the reality facing the potato industry.
Throughout the creation of the revised Response Plan, the Province of PEI, the Prince Edward Island (PEI) Potato Board, the Canadian Potato Council, and other industry stakeholders have been involved. Input from earlier consultations and suggestions from the International Advisory Panel on Potato Wart in PEI have also been crucial in the creation of the Response Plan.
“As with the current plan, the National Potato Wart Response Plan will be one of several complementary processes used by the CFIA to help manage potato wart and prevent its spread. For example, the National Potato Wart Survey helps monitor potato fields across Canada for the presence of potato wart and provides valuable data to verify and improve the effectiveness of control measures in place. As well, phytosanitary export certification procedures include crop inspection, postharvest testing, potato tuber inspections for each shipment followed by the issuing of certification documents to ensure eligibility for export”, the CFIA representatives said.
When the Response Plan is finished, all of the input that was obtained during this consultation will be taken into account. To help growers transition from the existing Potato Wart Domestic Long-Term Management Plan to the new Response Plan, a transition plan is being established for PEI’s limited potato fields. Except for Newfoundland and Labrador, the final plan will apply to any new potato wart detections made anywhere in Canada.
Until the consultation period ends on January 6, 2025, the CFIA is accepting comments and inquiries regarding the proposed National Potato Wart Response Plan.
