The U.S. Potato Council says it can live with a deal which will allow P.E.I. potatoes back into the North American market. A council official says rigorous inspection rules in the deal will protect the United States from potato wart fungus.

Potato shipments to the U.S. and other Canadian provinces were severely curtailed after the discovery of potato wart fungus last October.

On Thursday, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and United States Department of Agriculture came to an agreement which eases most restrictions.

Council spokesperson Dave Lavway says the deal gives the U.S. farmers confidence no infected potatoes will leave the Island.

"Each truckload that has more than 3,000 tubers on it will have to have 300 of those visually inspected by a CFIA inspector, for any symptoms of potato wart before it goes on the grading line."

The deal also includes a concession from the U.S. It has agreed to allow unwashed tablestock potatoes to be shipped within Canada.

Ivan Noonan from the P.E.I. Potato Board says conducting the inspections won't be easy.

Noonan can't say how many extra staff the CFIA will have to hire to keep up with the job but he does say the cost won't be passed along to Island growers.

"That's really a budgetary thing for the CFIA," says Noonan. "I have been assured that cost won't be passed to the growers. They've already had the brunt of costs by not being able to ship."

The first trucks loaded with Island potatoes are expected to head to the U.S. on Monday.