The Zimbabwean government has temporarily halted imports of South African potatoes following the detection of pepper ringspot virus (PepRSV). Experts have called for calm citing that there is no need to worry as the virus is unlikely to cause any harm to potato production and the industry.
Research and innovation manager at Potato SA Dirk Uys said the virus was recorded in the country back in 2020, however, in 2023 researchers from different institutions confirmed the virus in various potato production regions in Limpopo, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, North West, and the Northern Cape.
‘It is manageable’
“The infection levels appear to be low and we anticipate that the disease will not have a significant impact on potato yield. There also is no known recorded adverse effect on and potatoes are fit for human consumption.
“The department of agriculture, land reform and rural development has introduced proactive measures by regulating this disease by introducing quarantine measures. As this disease does not pose any risk of spreading through fresh potatoes, quarantine measures on fresh potatoes have been lifted,” he said.
Uys said the symptoms are often latent, however when the disease is expressed it is visible on the tubers as ringspot symptoms and annular internal browning in the tubers. On the leaves, he added, it is observed as yellowing while in many instances the disease can be confused with internal browning.
“Because virus diseases are impossible to control with crop protection products, the spreading thereof should be curbed. Because the virus can be spread by planting material it makes sense to plant different cultivars from different seed sources to reduce the risk of seed contamination.”
According to Uys, seeds can also be tested for the presence of PepRSV by testing planting material or seed plantings. “It is important to note that infected seeds may not be used for seed production purposes,” he said.
Meanwhile, spokesperson to the department of agriculture, rural development and land reform Reggie Ngcobo said the government is determining the extent of the spread of this pest through surveys.
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Finding solutions
Ngcobo confirmed that the two countries’ authorities have been engaging on the matter with a key focus on finding lasting solutions.
“This virus has been in circulation since 2022. It is isolated only to certain provinces, not the entire country. So, the normal procedure is that the export of potatoes can only be through uninfected areas. Our responsibility is to ensure Zimbabwean authorities that export will only be conducted from uninfected areas.
“The potato industry has been aware of this outbreak since export restrictions from infected areas. The industry is unlikely to be affected worse by the current effect, which we are managing,” he said.
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Time will tell
Limpopo potato farmer CT van der Merwe said the severity of the virus is not very significant as it was found in a few areas in the country. However, should the measurements put in place not be adhered to, then it shall impact the sector and consumers negatively.
“I think the way Potato SA and Potato Seed Service were handling the situation was very professional and it was on point. That is why I do not think there will be any effect on the fresh produce side, but on the potato seed side, there’ll be a huge impact.
“This will indirectly increase the price of potatoes in our neighbouring countries since the majority of the seeds that they import are from South Africa. The effect it has on us as farmers is huge because we import potato seeds into our neighbouring countries, however, the demand locally is also increasing,” he said.
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