The National Potato Council (NPC), alongside 13 state potato organizations in the United States, has formally requested the United States Department of Agriculture to immediately reinstate a previous ban on fresh potato imports from Prince Edward Island (PEI), Canada.
The demand follows a newly confirmed detection of Potato Wart disease in a previously unregulated PEI field.
In a May 18 letter sent to USDA Undersecretary for Marketing and Regulatory Services Dudley Hoskins, the group stated that the new detection exposes vulnerabilities in current border protections and indicates that the disease spreads beyond known containment zones.
Kam Quarles, Chief Executive Officer of the National Potato Council:
"Given that this new detection has occurred in an entirely new field without any association with previous finds, it reinforces our continued concerns over the true scope of the disease in PEI production areas. Therefore, we renew our strong objection to allowing imports of fresh potatoes from PEI into the United States."
A Potentially Catastrophic Threat to American Agriculture
Potato Wart is an aggressive soil-borne pathogen that deforms potatoes and destroys crop yields. The industry noted that the disease previously devastated potato production in Newfoundland, Canada.
The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) currently classifies Potato Wart as a select agent and one of the highest-concern plant pathogens threatening domestic agriculture.
According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), the fungus can survive in soil for more than 40 years and there are no chemical treatments available to eradicate it.
The United States potato industry generates more than USD 100 billion in annual economic activity and supports over 714,000 jobs. According to the industry groups, a domestic outbreak could result in more than USD 225 million in annual export losses alongside broader economic damage.
A History of Permissive Policy
The United States potato industry has continued raising concerns with USDA regarding measures intended to prevent the spread of Potato Wart from PEI into United States potato production areas.
Following a temporary import halt in the fall of 2021, the Biden Administration reopened the border to PEI fresh potato imports in May 2022.
In response, the NPC Board of Directors passed a formal resolution stating that federal officials treated the phytosanitary issue as a "diplomatic inconvenience" rather than a biological threat.
An October 2022 APHIS pathway analysis warned that "the full extent of the potato wart infestation in PEI is still unknown but is likely to be larger than currently reported."
Despite this warning, mitigation protocols remained largely unchanged.
NPC also raised concerns about Canada's 2024 National Potato Wart Survey, stating that only 2,200 fields were evaluated and that fields with previous detections were not tested.
Ignored Safeguards Require Decisive Action
For years, NPC and the United States potato industry have urged APHIS to implement additional risk mitigation measures.
The industry previously recommended:
- Restricting bulk potato shipments into the United States.
- Limiting large retail shipments and requiring strict traceback labeling on consumer packages.
- Imposing stricter controls on agricultural waste generated by processing and bulk handling facilities.
Federal authorities have not yet acted on these recommendations.
The group stated that Canada would not tolerate similarly permissive standards from the United States if the situation were reversed.
"Given the disease progression on PEI, coupled with the lack of enhanced phytosanitary actions to date, we strongly urge you to suspend PEI’s ability to ship fresh potatoes into the United States."
State Signatories
- Colorado Potato Administrative Committee
- Idaho Grower Shippers Association
- Idaho Potato Commission
- Maine Potato Board
- Minnesota Area II Potato Growers
- Montana Potato Improvement Association
- North Carolina Potato Association
- Pennsylvania Cooperative Potato Growers
- Potato Growers of Michigan
- Northland Potato Growers Association
- Oregon Potato Commission
- Washington State Potato Commission
- Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association
