Manu’a Representative Toeina Faufano Autele believes the Department of Agriculture may have been too hasty in enforcing a temporary ban on taro imports from Samoa.
The lawmaker was in Apia last week on a fact finding mission for the House Agriculture Committee and met with officials of the Samoa Ministry of Agriculture.
Speaking to the Samoa Observer, he labeled the move as extreme and hoped the issue will be amicably resolved in the near future.
“There is still a need for imported taro from Samoa”, he said.
Toeina said the American Samoa farmers cannot meet the daily demands of the public as well as businesses, hotels and restaurants for the root crop.
He said he was saddened by concerns raised by the Samoa Ministry.
He alleges that the Department did not consult with their counterparts in Samoa before imposing the ban on imports and the decision was made after reading about a taro virus in a newspaper.
“While American Samoa is banning taro, I know that Samoa is exporting containers of taro to New Zealand and Australia. Is that a sign of a bad virus?” he asked.
Toeaina said he had been assured by the Ministry’s CROPS staff that they have found specific ways and methods to protect the spread of the virus.
Meanwhile Samoa’s Ministry of Agriculture is still waiting for tests on the virus being done in Germany.
CEO Tilafono David Hunter, who until recently headed the Scientific Research Organization of Samoa, has indicated that initial samples sent were not good enough for extensive testing so a new batch has been sent.
Tilafono, who until recently also headed the Scientific Research Organization of Samoa, suspects the virus is the taro vein chlorosis but says it is better to wait until tests come back from Germany.
