Manu’a may become the source of chicken and eggs for the territory in the near future.
Director of Agriculture Solia Mutini reported at a hearing of the House Agriculture Committee, yesterday, that land has been secured for a poultry and egg farm.
He was in Manu’a for three weeks in connection with this new development, which will have 120,000 chickens. He said, hopefully before the end of the year, the farm will be supplying eggs and chickens for the territory.
The Director and ASG officials visited chicken and egg farms in Samoa and also Maryland.
As we reported yesterday, the Vice Speaker Fetui Fetu asked that representatives not ask any questions about the egg shipments from Samoa as this was a topic of a federal investigation.
When asked if the feds are investigating egg-gate, the director responded that their department is in communication with the United states Department of Agriculture about this matter.
Committee Chairman Rep. Ape Mike Asifoa felt that local farmers are facing unfair competition with produce like taro from Samoa, which are being sold at much cheaper prices than locally grown taro. He asked about the tax on taro from Samoa and was told it’s 5 cents per lb., plus an import permit of $5 for individuals. There’s also a permit for faalavelave and commercial importers.
Ape said, there was no way local farmers can compete with taro from Samoa being sold at stores for $2 or $3/lb, compared to $6 to $7/lb for local taro.
He emphasized that so much is said about food security yet local farmers are not getting support, and he’s worried that there will come a time when farmers will quit … then what will happen to the territory’s food supply.
