Government Help Farmers Sustain Taro Exports

Apia, SAMOA – 21 February 2026 – The Government is moving quickly to address the current abundance of taro with a bumper harvest being sold at the Salelologa, Fugalei and roadside markets, where farmers are left with significant amount of unsold taro on a daily basis.

The Government initiative is providing appropriate support for farmers so they can maintain regular income from taro sales and keeping and supplying overseas taro markets and maintain their commitment to growing taro and other crops crucial to not only exports but local food security.

For this reason, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries [MAF], the Scientific Research Organization of Samoa [SROS], and the Samoa Export Authority [SEA] are working together to establish a new pathway. This initiative was launched this morning at the Salelologa Market in Savai’i where taro was purchased for cleaning, packing, and freezing to supply the international markets, led by the Samoa Export Authority [S.E.A.].

Some of the taro bought from farmers at the Salelologa market.

The overseas frozen taro market is a growing and attractive one for Samoan farmers especially that the transshipment of fresh taro are subject to stringent biosecurity regulations and maintaining the taro product quality due to freight time between Samoa and overseas markets.

The initiative is one of the key purposes of the Government’s packhouse that was opened this month in Atele; to clean, prepare, package and store these frozen products awaiting to supply the export markets through the Samoa Export Authority.

Some of the taro loaded on trucks bound for the Atele Packing Houses for cleaning, packing and refrigeration to be ready for the export market.

This Government’s initiative carefully considers the hard work farmers have invested in planting crops so as to maintain their long-term interest and commitment to the land by having secured markets both locally and overseas.

Prime Minister La’aulialemalietoa Leuatea Polāta’ivao Fosi Schmidt, stated that this is work the Government cannot avoided. All relevant government agencies will continue to work together to move these efforts forward, ensuring that harvested and prepared taro are available for overseas markets.

Samoa is richly blessed with agricultural and marine resources, clear signs of a prosperous nation, guided by a government that actively seeks sustainable opportunities for its people.

The Government vision is to utilize the District Development Project to provide funds to support farmers and also collect data so that sustainable agricultural production is spread throughout the year for both the local and overseas markets.