P.E.I. seed potato growers are worried that the province’s seed potato sector could be a casualty of the 2021 stoppage of potato shipments to the U.S., following a handful of detections of potato wart. A ministerial order barring the export of fresh potatoes to the U.S. was lifted just over one year ago, but restrictions on seed potatoes, grown to be planted for future crops, remain in place. This effectively bars off-island shipments and there is no clear end date in sight for the lifting of these federal restrictions.
Some are questioning whether there is a future in producing seed in P.E.I. Greg Donald, general manager of the P.E.I. Potato Board, says the seed potato sector can yield good returns for farmers. But growing seed is difficult, requiring different tools and storage than processing or table stock.
Source: saltwire.com