A ban on fresh potato exports from Prince Edward Island remains in effect after potato wart was discovered in two fields last year. At the Potato Business Summit, United Potato Growers of Canada Chairman Ray Keenan said it is not true Canada isn’t keeping up on its potato testing and the only thing left to resolve is common sense. National Potato Council CEO Kam Quarles responded. “I think the entire U.S. industry greatly sympathizes with what’s going on with PEI. The impact on the growers when it hits is material. It is a bad situation and we understand the frustration,” said Quarles. “We agree there needs to be common sense injected into the issue. Our desire is to have the data come in to see where the disease is and the remedial actions to get things under control as quickly as possible.”
