Potato Farming Returns to Central Saanich After 40-Year Ban Lifted

One of the most notable developments in the potato sector is the lifting of a ban on potato cultivation in the Central Saanich community of British Columbia, in place since 1982 due to the golden nematode. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has declared the threat eradicated, and farmers have harvested their first crop in decades.

The original ban was imposed after the dangerous pest was detected and led to the ruin of many farms that could not adapt. Today, growers such as Sol Kinnis of City’s Edge Farm have already added potatoes to their weekly vegetable boxes for customers, noting the crop helps fill gaps between harvests of other produce. However, restrictions remain in place on roughly 50 hectares in the area, where live nematode cysts were still found.