PRESQUE ISLE — The U.S. Department of Agriculture has lifted restrictions allowing tablestock and processing potatoes from New Brunswick to enter the United States.

Entry requirements for tablestock and processing potatoes from Prince Edward Island remain unchanged, according to the USDA Plant Protection and Quarantine.

Last week, 90 percent of the Canadian tablestock potatoes were turned back at Maine border crossings because of the USDA’s fear that the PVY-N virus found in Canada would be spread to the United States. The virus destroys tobacco, tomato and pepper plants, but does not harm potato plants.

In U.S.-Canada bilateral discussions last week, Agriculture Canada provided assurance to USDA officials that all of the potatoes grown in New Brunswick considered high risk for spreading of the PVY-N virus had been destroyed, officials of the department’s Plant Protection and Quarantine.

As of Friday, tablestock and processing potatoes from New Brunswick were allowed to enter the United States accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate issued by Agriculture Canada, and were required to have the following additional declarations:

The potatoes in the shipment meet Canada’s No. 1 standards for outgrown sprouts (up to one-quarter of an inch).

The potatoes were treated with a sprout inhibitor at rates according to the label.

The potatoes were grown and harvested in the Province of New Brunswick.

Tablestock and processing potatoes that cannot meet the entry requirements may enter for processing if moved under U.S. Customs bond of USDA seal to a processing plant.

Further changes are expected to be made to the entry requirements of potatoes from New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island as the Canadians progress with their eradication of PVY-N virus, according to Charles A. Havens, chief operations officer from USDA’s Plant Protection and Quarantine.

“We don’t have a problem with New Brunswick,” said Bernard W. Shaw, Maine commissioner of agriculture on Monday. “They are in the same boat as we are.”

Shaw said PEI had not been honest with Maine or New Brunswick and had sold their potatoes after knowing the virus was present in their 1989 crop.