CHARLOTTETOWN, Prince Edward Island – A Canadian opposition leader’s attempt to call attention to repackaged potatoes could backfire and hurt Canadian growers, Canadian Agriculture Minister Mitch Murphy said.

Opposition leader Ron MacKinley brought a bag of potatoes into the Canadian Legislature this week to allege that U.S. potatoes were being repackaged in Canadian bags and sold in Canada.

Canadians, angry about a ban on Prince Edward Island potatoes, are opting to buy only Canadian spuds, MacKinley said.

Murphy said the sword cuts both ways, and that the stunt could raise suspicions in the United States that Prince Edward Island potatoes are being repackaged as potatoes from other provinces. Murphy said MacKinley’s actions could give the United States more reason to keep the ban on province potatoes in place.

U.S. officials closed the border to province spuds this fall after a potato wart fungus was found in the corner of one field in October. The potato disease is not harmful to humans, but renders a crop unmarketable.

David Lavway, government relations director for the National Potato Council in Maine, said MacKinley did raise a legitimate concern that province potatoes could be repacked and sold in the United States without its knowledge.

“I think Mr. MacKinley inadvertently made our case for us. I think anybody who knows the potato business knows that repacking takes place,” Lavway said in an interview from Maine.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has promised to investigate the allegations.

“To go out and pull the stunt that he did was regrettable, it was silly, it was a stupid thing for him to do,” Murphy said.

“Anything that the Americans can use to maintain their protectionist position, they’re going to. We certainly don’t need the leader of a political party on Prince Edward Island providing them with any of the stuff that he did,” Murphy said.