Algerian potato delegation visits P.E.I.

Prince Edward Island potato farmers welcomed a delegation from Algeria Tuesday, as part of their effort to re-establish trade with the North African country.

• The last shipload of potatoes from P.E.I. arrived in Algeria in the fall of 2007. The shipment was rejected because some Quebec potatoes on the same boat had ring rot, a bacterial disease.
• Algeria, which imports 140,000 tonnes of potatoes a year, has been a challenge for Island exporters ever since.
• Greg Donald, general manager of the P.E.I. potato board, said he is keen for Island producers to reclaim a piece of that market, especially for seed potatoes, which are sold to commercial potato growers.
• “We’d like to re-establish that relationship,” Donald said. “We haven’t sent any potatoes there for the last few years, and those markets have been lost primarily to the European countries.”
• The Algerian delegation arrived in Summerside early Tuesday morning to learn more about the inspection process for potatoes.
• Potatoes are P.E.I.’s primary cash crop, and at its peak in 1994, trade with Algeria was worth nearly $5 million. As other countries began to enter the market, Island exports declined.
• Last year, a trade delegation from P.E.I. visited Algeria and came back with news that Island producers would likely have to come up with new seed varieties geared specifically for the Algerian market. Donald said any new partnership with Algerian buyers will not happen overnight.
• “It may involve initially working on variety development with the seed registry in Algeria, so it’s going to take a while to produce the seeds that they need,” he said.
• A member of the delegation said he was impressed with what he saw but acknowledged that the distance between the two countries is a disadvantage.

• “We know the price of shipping has tripled,” he said, speaking through a translator. “So, this is a challenge, but we look forward to re-establishing contacts with P.E.I.”