Potato Wart Disease Causes Concern

Potato farmers in Washington and Idaho are upset that Canadian potatoes grown in areas where wart has been found may be shipped to the United States.

The potato wart disease was found in Prince Edward Island, which led to quarantine restrictions beginning Oct. 31. The wart, caused by a fungal pathogen that survives indefinitely in soil, is difficult to combat except through a regional quarantine.

If the wart spreads, it could especially hurt the economies of southern Idaho and Washington’s Columbia Basin, the top two potato growing regions in the country.

Worries about easing the quarantine immediately prompted a letter from Idaho Sens. Larry Craig and Mike Crapo to the U.S. Department of Agriculture urging steps to ensure the disease doesn’t spread.

Their concerns were echoed by the Washington Potato Commission.

Pat Boss, the commission’s executive director, said he was stunned by the news and asked for assurances that any fresh potatoes entering the country be wart free.

Before the quarantine was amended, raw potatoes from Canada were required to carry a point-of-origin label to ensure they weren’t from the Prince Edward Island, Boss said.