exports

Acting Prime Minister Tuala Tevaga Iosefo Ponifaso said the Authority is one of the key initiatives highlighted in the Government’s manifesto.

“The Authority will start with the exportation of agricultural products through the Samoa Trust Estates Corporation (STEC). In the long term, it is anticipated that all other exports will be part of this Authority in the future,” he said in a statement.

Over the past year, the small Australian chocolate business, Living Koko, has gone from importing 500 kilograms of cacao beans from Samoa, to 6 tonnes, as the global pandemic saw many Samoans return to the land and production soar.

Samoa's cacao growers supply chocolate manufacturers around the world including Living Koko in Melbourne, which is run by Phoebe Pruess.

"It felt like a lot of pressure to us... we definitely had to level up here," she said.

Living Koko uses Samoan cacao beans to make a wide variety of products including chocolate, skin care, and tea.

The Central Bank Governor said improvements in both volume and prices drove the $US14.57 million (ST$38.98 million) increase from $US34.3 million ($ST91.96 million) to $US49.12 million ($ST130.94 million).

Maiava Atalina Ainu'u Auelua said the volume of fresh fish exports was up by 25 percent, but the price had increased by 59 percent.

Maiava said nonu juice was up 73 percent by volume and 29 percent by price, meaning an increase of $US3.89 million ($ST10.38 million) in overall value.

The first shipment of Samoan bananas in nearly 50 years arrived in New Zealand last October.

The government had hoped to send a bunch more exports, as a way to inject money into the industry there.

But Samoa's agriculture ministry says around 500 cartons had to be destroyed in March because they were already ripening.

Its chief executive, David Hunter, says exports have now resumed, but farmers must comply with regulations.

Authorities will be keeping their eyes peeled to ensure the quality of exports.

Kokonut Pacific, a coconut oil producing company was one of three companies from the Solomon Islands invited to attend Auckland’s Pasifika Festival earlier in March as part of the PTI Pacific Path to Market programme.

The six-stage programme involves attending a Pacific Path to Market workshop in their own country, followed by an invitation to Pasifika Festival, a Gap Analysis workshop and one-to-one business meetings with prospective buyers, importers and distributors.

It is the world’s largest of its kind and continues the global Pasifika wave made by Disney’s Moana last year and at this year’s Oscars.

The Moana link was highlighted by Auckland band Resonate performing their famous ‘Moana Mash Up’ that’s gone viral online with millions of hits and a thumbs-up from United States talk show queen Ellen DeGeneres.

He was responding to a decision by the EU to close its office in Apia and centralise its efforts in a regional office in Fiji.

"The EU has been helping with a lot of development and assistances in Samoa. The biggest ones are the big water tanks that have been installed and will provide water for Faasaleleaga and the many schools they helped fund," he added.

However, the PM says things have been going one-sided for the EU, which would explain why they might lose interest in Samoa and that is his biggest fear.

This is part of a wider drive to improve the quality and reputation of Pacific cocoa, so that it can be sold into higher priced international markets. 

The Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access (PHAMA) Program brought together experts from PNG, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Samoa to foster technical discussions and exchanges on cocoa quality testing and build the capacity of technical staff from relevant research organisations.

Samoa's exports have been dominated by taro and other produce grown in the islands.

One produce that is silently making its way to the export table is cocoa – Samoan Koko - according to Lisa Karene the Executive Director of Noras Plantation Foods in Vaitele.

"We decided on the cocoa because it was easy to process, and from our market research it was one of the ‘trendier’ superfoods to put out there," she said.

Despite admitting to being late into the Australian market, Karene says they’ve seen a lot of growth in the demands due to high quality needs.