Alta. potato pest still not confirmed: CFIA

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s investigation of two potato fields in northern Alberta has yet to confirm the presence of potato cyst nematode (PCN) in the area, the agency said Thursday.

Initial test results in early October showed the “possible presence” of PCN in the fields, leading to “extensive” soil sampling and testing, which is still underway, as well as the closure of the U.S. border to seed potatoes from Alberta, CFIA explained in an industry bulletin.

PCN is deemed a quarantine pest because it can reduce yields of host crops such as potatoes, tomatoes and eggplants by up to 80 per cent.

CFIA immediately placed strict regulatory measures on the implicated farms after the initial results last month.

Until the investigation is done and “more definitive” information available, the CFIA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) have temporary restrictions on the movement of potatoes from Alberta to the U.S.

Those include a temporary ban on exporting seed potatoes from Alberta to the U.S., and a requirement that potatoes for consumption must be “substantially free” from soil,

Bulk shipments of table and processing potatoes to the U.S. must travel with an official form indicating that the potatoes have been cleaned and are substantially free from soil.

Programs are in place to provide farmers with access to financial assistance for income losses, including those caused by the regulatory measures, CFIA said. The agency did not say when it expected to confirm whether the fields are PCN-free.

Both PCN species, pale cyst nematode and golden nematode, have been found in 65 countries worldwide, including the U.S. Both have also been confirmed in Newfoundland, while golden nematode is also found in Quebec and on Vancouver Island.

The Potato Growers of Alberta reported last week that the two fields had each turned up just one positive sample of PCN out of over 420 initial samples taken, and another round of 610 samples turned up completely negative. Alberta Farmer Express reported that the PCN found in the two samples was golden nematode.

“It is essential that trade resume within several weeks to meet early-season commitments,” the PGA said recently on its web site. Many potato growers in Washington, Idaho and Oregon are known to rely on Alberta seed potatoes.