Prince Edward Island Potato Board

Challenge

In October 2021, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) confirmed the presence of Potato Wart in two fields in the Province. Canada’s Minister of Agriculture and Agri-food temporarily suspended the trade of fresh PEI potatoes to the United States, the province’s largest export market.

The potato industry is worth hundreds of millions of dollars annually to the Prince Edward Island (PEI) economy. The stakes could not have been higher for the PEI Potato Board and the growers they represent. To help them respond to the crisis, the PEI Potato Board reached out to Crestview Strategy to work with them to develop and implement a strategic public affairs plan that would help expedite the reopening of the potato trade and obtain financial support for those farmers negatively impacted by the disruption.

Approach

Crestview Strategy immediately engaged with and established an ongoing dialogue with high-level political contacts with the Canadian and U.S. governments on behalf of the PEI Potato Board. The agency moved quickly to successfully reassure all involved in the issue that the potato wart situation was contained and the potato crop was of high quality and safe for consumption. To support those potato farmers adversely affected by the trade disruption, the Government of Canada established a Ministerial Coordinating Committee on PEI Potatoes to bring a broad government approach and solution to the issue.

Results

On March 21, 2022, the federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-food announced the resumption of PEI potato exports to the United States. PEI potatoes have flowed freely over the border since that date. The Government of Canada and the PEI government jointly established the Surplus Potato Management Response Plan to divert as many potatoes as quickly as possible to processors, packers, and food banks and minimize the number of surplus potatoes that must be destroyed.