The Samoa Ministry of Agriculture has now banned taro exports to American Samoa.
Although temporary, the ban has put a spanner in the works for the taro market here.
Just three weeks ago the local Department of Agriculture lifted its ban on taro from Samoa which began in June 2017, due to an unidentified disease affecting taro in parts of Upolu .
The Samoa Observer newspaper reported that it had a copy of a letter from Minister Lopao’o Natanielu Mu’a to Director Filifa’atali Michael Fuiava advising of the “temporary ban”.
“The new conditions we understand the D.O.A. has imposed on importers, is that Quarantine Inspectors (I understand to be American Samoan quarantine inspectors) will be required to inspect and verify the names of the farmers, locations of the farm, their mailing addresses, telephones and emails of the farmers from Samoa where the expected taro is to be supplied from.”
The Minister said these conditions, he understood, are necessary for the American Samoa govcernment to issue import permits to American Samoa.
“These conditions however do not appear to Samoa to deal directly with the issue and concern that I had initially raised; namely the guarding against potential harm to taro cultivation and consumption in American Samoa,” wrote the Minister.
“We are committed to providing quality export to all our export markets.”
Lopao’o then said that a public notice will be made to advise exporters that all taro exports to American Samoa are temporarily banned starting this week.
This is the latest in what is becoming to look like a tit-for-tat conflict between the two Samoas.
A source told KHJ News that the US State Department had stepped into the inter island root crop fray after the drawn out ban was reportedly brought to the attention of US Ambassador Scott Brown during a recent visit.
Director Filifa’atali was in meetings and could not be reached for comment.
