Farmers warned of potato disease
IFA Potato Committee chairman John Sheridan issued the warning after a meeting with the Department of Agriculture and Food, during which the discovery of the disease at a packing firm in Cambridgeshire was discussed.
The Irish potato industry is worth €96 million to over 800 growers who produce around 500,000 tonnes annually.
The seeds used to grow the diseased potatoes are believed to have originated in Holland. Sante, the variety involved, is used mainly in the processing industry.
The department said it is not aware of any Sante potatoes grown in Ireland at present and is also confident that none of the infected potatoes have made their way into the Irish processing industry.
Ring Rot has also recently been found in Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Spain and the Netherlands. Ireland has never had a case of Ring Rot and there are contingency plans in place in the event of an occurrence.
Mr Sheridan said Ring Rot has been termed “the foot and mouth” of potatoes and, while it has absolutely no implications for human health, it could have serious consequences for the potato industry.
The disease is spread mainly through planting of infected seed, but can also be spread via contaminated machinery and wooden boxes.
There is also a risk if infected peelings are spread on land, but this is rare. Ring Rot will only survive in the soil briefly.
Mr Sheridan said the Department of Agriculture must maintain its current testing levels of imported stocks, while all processors must ensure that any potatoes which may be imported are fully traceable back to the primary producer.
Mr Sheridan asked all farmers using imported seed to inform the Department of Agriculture of its origin.
