Potato exports guide

Canary Islands

Seed potatoes (updated 16 October 2023)

Wart disease

Wart disease (Synchytrium endobioticum) must never have been found within 2 km of the field in which the crop is grown.

Growing crop tolerances

Class tolerances apply.

Tuber tolerances

Inspector's instructions CA/2006/01 apply.

Minimum tolerances for seed export apply, except for:

• Black Scurf (Rhizoctonia): 5% with > 10% cover
• All other surface diseases not mentioned in general export conditions (including silver scurf (Helminthosporium solani)): 50% with >50% cover
• Spraing (PMTV and TRV) : 1.5%
• Soil: practically no soil. No adhering lumps.
• All viruses, pests and diseases not specifically mentioned in the minimum tolerances for seed export: 1.5%

Other requirements

• All seed potatoes must be brushed (or washed)
• Size: tubers should be 28 - 65 mm unless authorisation from the Canary Islands' authorities has been received for a different size range.
• Packaging: new, unused sacks. The outside of the sacks must show, in black, in distinctive characters of at least 12 cm high, the name of the variety, the class and the phrase "Patata de Siembra" (seed potatoes in Spanish).
• Shipping: when consignments of seed are shipped in the same hold as ware potatoes, they must be separated from these by solid, vertical, wooden partitions.
• Certificates: the date of sealing of the containers should not precede the date of issue of the Phytosanitary Certificate by more than a few days. If it does, the sealing date needs to be noted on the Phytosanitary Certificate.
• All wood packaging must comply with ISPM 15.

Additional declarations to be inserted on the reverse of the phytosanitary certificate for seed potatoes

1. Colorado beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata) is not known to occur in Scotland.
2. The potatoes have been properly cleaned and packaged prior to shipment.
3. The potatoes are transported in such a way as to prevent contamination by Leptinotarsa decemlineata.
4.  Stolbur phytoplasma is not known to occur in Scotland.
5. The potatoes were grown in land free from Synchitrium endobioticum.
6. No symptoms of Synchitrium endobioticum have been observed during the ten year period either in the production plot nor in its immediate surroundings.
7. The conditions recognized as equivalent to the community provisions regarding the fight against Clavibacter michiganensis ssp. sepedonicus have been complied with. Clavibacter michiganensis ssp. Sepedonicus is not known to occur in Scotland.
8. Samples of soil from the land on which these potatoes were grown were drawn and tested prior to planting by the official services and no trace was found of Potato Cyst Nematodes (Globodera pallida and G. rostochiensis) or lot freedom from PCN has been demonstrated by consignment test.

Ware potatoes 

Potato cyst nematodes (PCN)

The field in which the potatoes were grown must have been tested for the presence of Potato Cyst Nematodes (Globodera rostochiensis and G. pallida) pre-planting or where this has not been carried out lot freedom from PCN using a consignment test must be demonstrated (PCN testing for export applies). There will be a charge for these tests.

Tuber tolerances

Minimum tolerances for ware export apply, except for:

• Black scurf (Rhizoctonia solani): 25% with >10% cover
• Soil: practically no soil. No adhering lumps
• Any other surface disease not mentioned in general export tolerances: 50% with >50% cover

Other requirements

• All ware potatoes must be brushed (or washed) 
• Labelling: all containers must have a label attached, to ensure traceability. This should be created by the exporter and must enable the consignment to be traced to the exact crop e.g. use of a crop number.
• Packaging: new, unused sacks. The outside of the sacks must show, in black, in distinctive characters the phrase 'Patata de Consumo' (ware potatoes in Spanish). The size of the characters depends on the capacity of the container: for containers of 5 kg or less characters of 2cm high, for containers of 10-20 kg characters of 5cm high, for containers of 25-50 kg characters of 10cm high.
• Shipping: when consignments of ware are shipped in the same hold as seed potatoes, the two types of consignment must be separated from each other by solid, vertical, wooden partitions.
• All wood packaging must comply with ISPM 15.

Additional declarations to be inserted on the reverse of the phytosanitary certificate for ware potatoes

1. Colorado beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata) is not known to occur in Scotland.
2. The potatoes have been properly cleaned and packaged prior to shipment.
3. The potatoes are transported in such a way as to prevent contamination by Leptinotarsa decemlineata.
4. Stolbur phytoplasma is not known to occur in Scotland.
5. The potatoes were grown in land free from Synchitrium endobioticum.
6. No symptoms of Synchitrium endobioticum have been observed during the ten year period either in the production plot nor in its immediate surroundings.
7. The conditions recognized as equivalent to the community provisions regarding the fight against Clavibacter michiganensis ssp. sepedonicus have been complied with. Clavibacter michiganensis ssp. Sepedonicus is not known to occur in Scotland.
8. The ware potatoes have not been treated with a sprout suppressant.
9. Samples of soil from the land on which these potatoes were grown were drawn and tested prior to planting by the official services and no trace was found of Potato Cyst Nematodes (Globodera pallida and G. rostochiensis) or lot freedom from PCN has been demonstrated by consignment test.