10/25/07 PGI meeting on PCN interim plan

Potato growers are invited to attend a meeting next Tuesday in Shelley where they can learn more about the program to eradicate potato cyst nematode in Idaho. The Potato Growers of Idaho says the meeting at the Shelley High School Little Theater will help growers learn more about the interim rule and regulated area. Tina Gresham of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service says the interim rule goes into effect on November first. GRESHAM "We have laid out a path forward for how we will be regulating fields, which fields will be regulated and how we may survey fields in the future so that they may be released from regulation." Growers at the October 30th meeting will have a change to submit comments or suggest changes to the interim rule. They'll learn more about the timeline to implement the rule, the comment period, regulated articles and areas, cleaning requirements, limited permits and certificates and release from regulation. In addition they'll hear about the activities that APHIS and state officials took this year to try to eradicate the potato cyst nematode, the results and future plans. Again, that's October 30th, 2 pm at Shelley High School and anyone is welcome to attend. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott