Farmers Send Truckload Of Potatoes To Ottawa In Protest
CHARLOTTETOWN–A truckload of fresh P.E.I. potatoes is on its way to Ottawa.
Farmers packed the big rig with 6,000 bags of potatoes on a direct route to Parliament Hill in a bid to draw attention to the federal government’s export ban.
It’s been two weeks since potato exports to the U.S. were suspended after potato wart was discovered in two Island fields.
RELATED: P.E.I. Potato Board Decries Export Ban
The fungus isn’t harmful to people but it disfigures the produce, making them tough to sell.
Greg Donald, the general manager of the P.E.I. Potato Board has called the ban a huge burden to the island. Fresh potato exports bring in $120-million a year for the province.
Donald has called on trade officials to work with their counterparts in the U.S. to come up with a solution to reopen the border to P.E.I. potatoes.
It’s hoped the ban will be lifted by Christmas.
This story was first published by Acadia News, a Huddle content partner.