The Canary Islands are progressing well in their search to guarantee the supply of potatoes in the coming months of September, October and the first half of November, months in which imported potatoes are used and therefore, so that the seeds potatoes from the United Kingdom come with those that can will start local production from November.
The Minister of Agriculture of the Government of the Canary Islands, Narvay Quintero, reported at the press conference after the Council of Government that last week there were meetings between his Ministry and the Ministry of the same place, where it was agreed to send a request. to the Kingdom containing the battery of complementary steps to proceed with importation from that country. “What we tried and was the first introduction was preventing pests from entering the Canary Islands».
Quintero indicated that the measures sent to the United Kingdom, through the Ministry of Agriculture, are the following: “Wash the potatoes, take them in new bags, do not do it in the field, but in the cooperatives” to make sure they don’t bring sand, the bags and finally, “a certificate to track where the potatoes come from exactly.” The adviser emphasized that this process is necessary not only for potato consumers, but especially for something that “is of great concern to the Government, which is seed potatoes. If we don’t get it, we put the next Canarian harvest at risk.».
During his speech, Quintero revealed that it is important for the Canary Islands to resolve this situation as soon as possible because of the 170 million potatoes consumed in the Canary Islands every year, 99 million from our own production, 62% of the total. The advisor stated that “we understand the population but we ask them to be patient. This is not the responsibility of the Government of the Canary Islands but nevertheless, we are trying to provide a guaranteed solution so that in the Canary Islands we do not have a new plague that will destroy the cultivation of potatoes on the islands” so “in the next days or weeks “They hope that there will be a solution.”
Waiting for United Kingdom
The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in the United Kingdom will now have to decide whether to accept the joint proposal of the State and the Canary Islands to continue the export of potatoes to the Canary Islands. At the end of last week, the United Kingdom Government confirmed that the phytosanitary They are pest free and the affected area is limited to the Kent area. Quintero stated that the beetle is under control and limited. “They have taken all the lands and they have created a 10 km security border around the area. “You cannot grow or collect anything,” he concluded.
