Bruce Raup wrote: > Could someone please post the letter in plain text? Here it is. However, I'm very surprised that your word processor doesn't have RTF capability. I thought they all did. Bill Potts, CMS Roseville, CA http://metric1.org [SI Navigator] Office of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Cabinet du Ministre de l'Agriculture et de l'Agroalimentaire Ottawa, Canada K1A 0C5 Quote: 538349 Jun 11 2001 Mr. Gregory Peterson 426 Christopher Road Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7J 3S2 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Dear Mr. Peterson: Thank you for your e-mail of April 26, 2001, in which you asked if the 50-lb. bag restriction for potatoes shipped to the U.S. also applies to other Canadian vegetable products. Please be assured that your letter has been brought to the Minister's attention, and he has asked me to provide you with the following information. This restriction applies only to potatoes grown in Prince Edward Island. The U.S. Department of Agriculture imposed this restriction because of the presence of potato wart virus in that province. This requirement does not apply to any other fruit or vegetable commodity shipped from anywhere else in Canada. Standard container sizes are prescribed in the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Regulations for beets, carrots, onions, parsnips, potatoes, and rutabagas. These container sizes were established prior to the mandatory requirement for metric labelling in Canada. Industry packaging machinery, therefore, was set up to accommodate imperial package sizes. To reduce the financial burden associated with converting this machinery, imperial sizes were maintained. However, the requirement to show both sizes on the packaging was introduced. You may wish to relay your concerns regarding metric size containers to the Canadian Horticultural Council (CHC), as it represents Canadian growers and packers. It is my understanding that the CHC welcomes consumer input about preferences in the marketplace. The CHC is located at the following address: 310 - 1101 Prince of Wales Drive Ottawa, Ontario K2C 3W7 Telephone: (613) 226-4187 Facsimile: (613) 226-2984 I trust this information will be of assistance. Again, thank you for writing to the Minister on this matter. Yours sincerely, <signed> Steve Dunnigan Departmental Assistant
