Potatoes turned back from Algeria: CBC

A boat loaded with potatoes from Quebec and Prince Edward Island has been forced to leave Algeria after trying to unload its cargo for the past few weeks, CBC reported Monday.

The cargo, 3,800 tonnes of potatoes loaded at Summerside, P.E.I., belongs to an export firm called Canadian Agricultural Produce of Brossard, Que., near Montreal, CBC reported.

After the boat left P.E.I., test results from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency turned up an infestation of ringrot in the Quebec potatoes, CBC said.

While not harmful to people, the bacterial disease can cause a complete crop loss both in the field and in storage. Advanced cases in the field cause some varieties’ vines to wilt late in the season, while affected tubers can leak with a bacterial ooze. It’s a reportable disease in Canada and Algeria bans imports that carry it.

CFIA staff said the boat was rejected because the certification documents given to Algerian authorities were different than those sent from Canada. The head of the exporting company told CBC Algerian officials have informed Canadian embassy staff that “Algeria doesn’t trust potatoes from Canada anymore.”

It’s now possible that the cargo may be dumped into the sea, CBC reported.