Virus that poses 'serious threat' to Niagara stonefruit detected in area, prompting federal agency response

Justin Chandler · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 07, 2025 4:00 AM EST | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

Canada's nutrient regulator is taking enactment to forestall the dispersed of a microorganism affecting effect trees aft it was detected successful the Hamilton and Niagara country for the archetypal clip since 2013. 

On its website, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) says plum pox microorganism (PPV) tin "drastically reduce" yields of plants including peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots, cherries and almonds. The Niagara Region is known for its stonefruit, with Tourism Niagara boasting the portion grows much than 80 per cent of Canada's peaches.

PPV "is a superior menace to Canada's tender fruit, effect processing and nursery industries," the CFIA said successful a Feb. 24 quality release.

Since 2011, the CFIA has monitored and managed the virus, which doesn't harm people but negatively affects stonefruit trees.

In 2013, CFIA established a "regulated area" which includes the bluish portion of Niagara bordering Lake Ontario and portion of eastbound Hamilton. In the regulated area, it's forbidden to determination and turn plants that big the virus.

In outpouring and summer, inspectors show and instrumentality samples from trees adjacent the borderline connected some sides of the regulated area. Over 10 years passed without a detection, which was "a truly bully motion controls were working," said Chris Balardo, a CFIA inspection advisor based successful St. Catharines, Ont. CFIA past detected the microorganism successful the portion successful 2013.

But this past summer, Balardo said, inspectors detected 2 caller infestations successful Stoney Creek within the Hamilton portion of the regulated area. In response, CFIA expanded portion of that portion by an further 2.5 kilometres. 

The caller detections are "definitely concerning," Balardo said. The anticipation is that extending the country with restrictions volition "slow down immoderate aboriginal spread."

Inside the regulated area, people are not allowed to determination perchance infested materials, including young branches with buds and young plants grown successful nurseries. 

Growers wrong the portion indispensable root caller trees from extracurricular the portion oregon CFIA-approved growers to guarantee they're not spreading the virus, Balardo said. 

Inspectors show for the microorganism by sampling leaves from trees connected orchards and backstage property. Balardo said this year, his squad volition beryllium doing regular surveillance successful the country wherever the microorganism was detected past year. 

In summation to protecting home trees, regulating PPV is simply a indispensable portion of maintaining entree to the United States effect marketplace for Canadian growers. 

No attraction for PPV

Identified successful Bulgaria, PPV was archetypal detected successful Ontario and Nova Scotia successful 2000 and Pennsylvania successful 1999. It nary longer exists successful the eastbound state oregon United States. The Niagara-Hamilton area is the lone PPV regulated portion successful Ontario. 

Aphids tin dispersed the microorganism betwixt trees and it besides spreads erstwhile radical propagate caller plants utilizing infected plants, hence the restrictions connected propagation.

Ring-like spots connected leaves and effect tin beryllium a grounds of the virus, but it tin beryllium astir reliably detected by insubstantial samples, CFIA says. There is nary attraction for PPV, truthful the astir effectual mode to forestall an infected histrion from spreading is to region the histrion and its roots. 

Balardo said helium wants radical to know CFIA inspectors volition beryllium successful the tract during increasing play and disposable if radical person questions. He added radical tin report sightings online. 

It's "really, truly important to assistance support Canada's manufacture and the environment," helium said.