Representatives of the governments of the Canary Islands and Spain, as well as the primary sector, are analyzing the "possibility of importing potatoes from areas of the United Kingdom that are not affected by the potato beetle plague, but only if there are full phytosanitary guarantees."
The Minister of Agriculture, Narvay Quintero, and the Government Delegate in the Canary Islands, Anselmo Pestana, have met with representatives of COAG Canarias, Asaga Canarias, UPA and Palca to address "the problem of potato supply due to the detection of this plague in the United Kingdom."
According to the Ministry, "the possibility of importing potatoes from the United Kingdom only if there are full phytosanitary guarantees for the Canary Islands" has been addressed, since "most of the British territory is free of this beetle and work is being done to certify this situation."
Narvay Quintero stated that "the priority is that this plague does not enter the Canary Islands", because its "effects would be much more damaging than the situation we are currently experiencing of scarcity of this tuber."
If contacts with the British government for the certification of shipments prosper, the Canarian executive "will transfer to the Ministry, which is the competent authority in this matter, that the entry of this tuber from unaffected areas be studied", such as Northern Ireland or Scotland, but "provided that greater control is established in the exit of productions destined for the Canary Archipelago."
"That the entry of this tuber from unaffected areas, such as Northern Ireland or Scotland, be studied"
The Ministry has indicated that "control measures are being studied, such as washing the potatoes, bagging them in new sacks in agricultural cooperatives, not in the field, and an exhaustive monitoring of traceability with detailed information on their origin", among other actions.
Another of the priorities of the Autonomous Government and the producers is to "guarantee the seed potato", which mostly comes from the United Kingdom and is beginning to "be acquired now to sow in September and October, with the purpose of having the production of potatoes in the Canary Islands of the next harvest assured."
"Control measures are being studied, such as washing the potatoes, bagging them in new sacks and monitoring with detailed information"
According to Narvay Quintero, the Canary Islands "are not short of potatoes, but there is local production and others from countries that do not suffer the effects of this plague such as Egypt, Israel or Denmark."
That is why he criticizes "that there is speculation with a product like this, so essential for the diet of the Canarians".