2001-04-26
The regulation says: "...of up to 50 pounds ...". Therefore package sizes
of 5, 10, 15 and 20 kg, would be perfectly legal. so, as far as I can see,
there is no reason Canadian packagers can not package in rational metric.
Just more and more of the same lies and half-truths.
John
Keiner ist hoffnungsloser versklavt als derjenige, der irrt�mlich glaubt
frei zu sein.
There are none more hopelessly enslaved then those who falsely believe they
are free!
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)
----- Original Message -----
From: "Gregory Peterson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Thursday, 2001-04-26 12:23
Subject: [USMA:12491] more on PEI potatoes
from the Agriculture Canada Web Site:
http://www.agr.ca/cb/news/2001/n10426be.html
I don't know what upsets me more: the fact that the US is restricting our
potatoes to 50-pound bags or that they attempted to restrict the movement of
Canadian potatoes between the Canadian provinces. I thought that Canada was
a sovereign country, obviously, on certain matters, I was mistaken.
BACK GROUNDER * P.E.I. POTATOES
Canada and the U.S. have agreed on a set of conditions that allow the
movement of potatoes grown in Prince Edward Island to
the U. S. and within Canada. The following are the specific conditions
outlined in the agreement with respect to the year 2000
crop:
Four zones have been established with various conditions for the
movement of potatoes. Zone One is the field where the
disease was detected and a half-mile buffer area around the field. Zone
Two consists of all fields that have used the same
farming equipment as the infected fields. Zone Three consists of the
area surrounding and between Zones One and Two.
Zone Four is the remainder of P.E.I., which accounts for more than 80
per cent of the province's land.
The U. S. will accept tablestock potatoes from Zone Four of PEI
provided that the potatoes are washed and treated
with sprout inhibitor. These potatoes can move in packages of up to 50
pounds, and must be inspected and certified by
the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). All shipments of Zone Four
PEI potatoes must enter the U.S. through
the port of Houlton, Maine.
The U.S. is reducing the most stringent requirements regarding movement
of P.E.I. potatoes in Canada. Tablestock
potatoes from Zones Three and Four may move in packages up to 50 pounds
and meet Canada's No. 1 standard of
cleanliness. These potatoes will no longer have to be washed and sprout
inhibited. Bulk shipments of potatoes for
processing will no longer have to be washed but are subject to CFIA
surveillance.
Seed potatoes may move within Canada from Zones Three and Four subject
to CFIA inspection and certification
activities.
This agreement for the 2000 crop year will allow Canada and the U.S. to
begin discussions of measures to be implemented for
the 2001 crop year of P.E.I. potatoes. In that regard, the U.S. is committed
to sending a team of risk assessment and
management specialists, plant pathologists, and regulatory officials to
Canada by June 15, 2001 to review surveillance activities,
soil surveys, and regulatory inspections.
