Environment Food and Rural Affairs written question – answered at on 20 November 2003.
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the risk of cross contamination to other seed potatoes following the recent outbreak of ring rot.
EC Directive 93/85/EEC on the control of potato ring rot lays down a series of measures to be taken at outbreak sites which take account of the possible risks of cross contamination. Testing is still under way at the farm in Wales where the outbreak was discovered and it will be some time before we know whether the infection was restricted to the one stock. As a precautionary measure no other stocks of potatoes from the farm will be planted, whatever the results of the tests. Three premises in England to which stocks had already been sent from the outbreak farm have been put under statutory notice. We understand that the consignments sent to the Canary Islands have also been impounded. Any links which indicate a risk at other farms will result in similar restrictions at those premises.
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