On February 1, Governor Lemanu Peleti Mauga, Chief of Staff Loa Tuimavave Laupola and several directors, visited a chicken farm in Maryland to explore its operation with hatchery, incubation, and processing systems.
Cabinet members who took the tour were Director of Agriculture Solia Mutini, Director of Commerce Petti Matila, Director of Public Works Faleosina Voigt, Director of the Office of Disaster Assistance and Petroleum Management, and Director of the ASG Hawaii Office Tuiafono Vaiauli Sua.
A press release from the Governor’s Office says, the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the territory’s economy, disrupting supply chains and contributing to major delays in shipping. The shortage of supply and high demand caused a spike in food prices and limited resources. The Lemanu-Talauega administration is taking action to further develop opportunities to help prepare and sustain the American Samoa economy during difficult times, like the COVID-19 nationwide lockdown.
The visit to the chicken farm is part of administration efforts to secure stable food supplies.
“Chicken is an indispensable part of the lives of the people in American Samoa and the cost of a box of chicken continues to rise, due to the inflation that is affecting the whole nation,” said the press release.
The Lemanu-Talauega administration’s path forward is for American Samoa to prepare and supply its chicken. The chicken farm will be a collaborative effort between the government and the community. It will provide job opportunities and initiate an affordable entry point for long-term economic investment.
The investment into the chicken farm can be transformed into a wide array of marketable products that will benefit the people of American Samoa.
Director Mutini is scheduling a follow-up virtual meeting with Mr. Adam Kim from the Eastern Contractors Corporation to put together a strategy to work on the next steps.
KHJ News points out that Eastern Contractors Corporation is one of the businesses represented on the delegation of investors from South Korea and the U.S., that visited the territory last year.
The delegation also visited StarKist Co. headquarters in Reston, Virginia, which we’ll report on in another bulletin.
