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Potatoes are one of the most consumed and cultivated vegetables. Every year, the damage caused by diseases and pests to the producers of these vegetables amounts to hundreds of thousands of euros, so in the EU and in Lithuania, the cultivation and trade of potatoes are strictly regulated to prevent the spread from pests and protect crops as well as producers from financial losses.
During inspections in markets or other points of sale, it is checked whether traders have potato purchase documents, whether they are registered in the Phytosanitary Register of the Republic of Lithuania and whether potato packages are labeled. We remind you that when selling consumer potatoes, the label must indicate the purpose of the potato, the variety, the registration number of the potato producer, buyer or seller in the Phytosanitary Register of the Republic of Lithuania (the abbreviation “Registration number phytosanitary “(used on the label), the shipping number of potatoes), the quantity of potatoes, the country of origin code, the quality class and the size of the potatoes (indicating the diameter of the smallest tubers and more large in the fraction). The label must be disposable (adhesive or attached when the packages are closed in such a way that the label is damaged when the package is opened).
The label must be firmly attached to the packaging. Using the same label a second time is prohibited. The information on the label must be clearly and legibly written. Correcting the information on the label is prohibited. The label may also include additional information (such as a company logo, etc.). These requirements are valid both for trade in Lithuania and for potatoes imported from other countries. Much attention is paid to the labeling of potatoes also because it is the most frequently detected violation. The Official Controls Regulation establishes that any information that indicates the probability of misleading consumers, particularly regarding the nature, identity, properties, composition, quantity, expiration date, country of origin or place of provenance of a food, it is a factor that increases the frequency of operators. supervision of activities. Therefore, in the identified cases of trade in unlabeled potatoes, the control of the activities of these operators will be intensified, and the trade in potatoes will be subject to sanctions for incorrectly indicating their origin.
The Crop Service recalls that the importation of potatoes from many third countries to the European Union (EU) and Lithuania is prohibited. Exceptions apply to potatoes grown in these countries: Algeria, Israel, Libya, Morocco, Syria, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, Egypt. The exceptions also apply to areas in several other countries where potato inspections and tests ensure that quarantine agencies relevant to the European Union are not introduced into potatoes.
The importation of potatoes from other EU member states is not prohibited. However, potatoes originating in Poland are still subject to additional requirements due to the presence of outbreaks: local potato producers must be inspected by the Polish National Plant Protection Organization and the shipment must be accompanied by a certificate stating that there are no potato cyst nematodes (Synchytrium endobioticum) or potato the variety is resistant to potato cancer (Synchytrium endobioticum) and the potatoes are not infected with potato ring rot (Clavibacter michiganensis ssp. sepedonicus). The Polish National Plant Protection Organization must inform the Crop Service of any intention to transport a shipment of potatoes to Lithuania. Therefore, if the above conditions are met, it is possible to import and market potatoes of Polish origin in Lithuania.
2020 The Crop Service inspected 146 merchants of fresh potatoes. In 27 cases, fresh potatoes were found to have originated in other countries of the European Union, such as Italy, Greece or Cyprus. In 122 cases, traders declared trade in potatoes of Lithuanian origin. To verify that the potato producer farms whose potatoes were marketed in the markets met the plant health requirements, the specialists of the Crop Service carried out 35 inspections at the potato growing sites. In most cases, no irregularities were found, but in 2 cases the producers were unable to prove that the potatoes had been grown on their farm and were therefore subject to administrative penalties. The warnings or fines were also not avoided by 25 economic entities that traded fresh potatoes without registering in the Phytosanitary Register of the Republic of Lithuania.
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