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POTATO WART COMPENSATION REGULATIONS, 2003 ARE NOW IN EFFECT

October 27, 2004 - New regulations initiated by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to provide compensation to persons affected by the finds of potato wart in Prince Edward Island in 2002 are now in effect. They were published in Canada Gazette, Part II on October 20, 2004.

The total compensation that could be paid out under the Potato Wart Compensation Regulations, 2003 is estimated to be from $600,000 to $800,000. These regulations also apply to any finds detected since September 2002, and any that may arise in the future.

The CFIA confirmed the presence of potato wart in a single field on Prince Edward Island on October 24, 2000, and took immediate quarantine measures to prevent further spread and initiated extensive surveillance activities. In September 2002, the CFIA detected new cases of potato wart in two separate farms on PEI. In 2004, further detections have been made on one of the farms already under quarantine restrictions as a result of the 2002 finds.

The original Potato Wart Compensation Regulations, promulgated in 2001, compensated persons who incurred financial losses as a result of complying with the measures ordered by the CFIA to control and prevent the spread of potato wart, after the October 2000 find. The costs that were covered by compensation under these regulations included the loss of the use of land to grow potatoes, cleaning and disinfection of equipment and facilities, and disposal of affected potatoes or other agricultural products.

The new Potato Wart Compensation Regulations, 2003, provide similar compensation to persons who incurred losses as a result of complying with CFIA control measures following the two finds in 2002. The regulations also allow for similar compensation for any subsequent finds of potato wart, whether they are in PEI or in any other province (with the exception of Newfoundland and Labrador, where different quarantine measures are in place for potato wart). This will encourage reporting and compliance with quarantine actions.

Potato wart is caused by a soil-borne fungus, Synchytrium endobioticum, that attacks the growing points on the potato plant, such as eyes, buds and stolon tips. It is considered to be a quarantine pest by Canada and many other countries because it reduces yield and makes potatoes unmarketable. Potato wart can be transmitted to pest-free areas through infected soil or potatoes. The potato wart fungus is not a human pathogen and poses no threat to human health.

Copies of the regulations and the associated Regulatory Impact Assessment Statement are available at www.inspection.gc.ca/english/reg/appro/2004/20076_e.shtml.

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For more information, media may contact:

Sherry Lynn Kelly
PEI Regional Office
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Charlottetown, PEI
(902) 566-7297

News media may contact:

Noella LeBlanc
Media Relations
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Moncton, NB
(506) 851-3331