Testing for potato virus widened
Testing for a new potato virus has been extended but there will still be plenty of chips to go around this summer.
The potato mop-top virus was discovered in potatoes grown on two Canterbury properties last month.
In an update to industry stakeholders this week, Potatoes New Zealand (PNZ) and Biosecurity New Zealand said 18 more farms in the region had been added to the suspect list, and testing had been widened to the North Island.
Although the virus had been found in Innovator potatoes, a variety used for hot chips, there was no cause for alarm among fish and chip fans, PNZ said.
‘‘There’s no concern over hot chip supply at all,’’ head of communications and engagement Gemma Carroll said.
‘‘The virus has been found in a very small, contained area and MPI is sampling across New Zealand as a precaution.’’
Carroll said the mop-top virus existed in a lot of countries and could be managed if it was found to be widespread here.
Infected potatoes showed symptoms like distortions to the skin, deep cracking, and discolouration that made them unsuitable for processing.
The Ministry for Primary Industries said the virus was not a food safety issue but if found to be widespread, could cause some productivity issues for growers.
Virus response controller David Yard, of Biosecurity New Zealand, told Radio New Zealand that seed potatoes were being tested, as well as samples from manufacturers and growers in the North Island.
Discoveries of the virus had so far come exclusively from processing plants, Yard said.
‘‘But clearly, if the processors have potatoes with symptoms, they have come from infected farms, and our job is to trace back.’’