Reports have surfaced that a farmer in Lancashire has been forced to destroy an entire consignment of seed potatoes after the discovery that they were infected by the bacterial disease brown rot.
The potatoes were imported from the Netherlands for planting on the farm, but swift action was taken to avoid further spread.
The bacterium Ralstonia solanacearum can reduce crop yields by 50 per cent and unless countered quickly, cause severe problems for future crops.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said it too has taken steps to prevent the disease spreading after the infection was found during annual checks for potato diseases, including brown rot and ring rot.
Defra has contacted the Dutch authorities to find out where else seed potatoes of the same variety and origin may have gone in the UK.
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