Taro

Samoa media reports the initiative was confirmed by Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries Chief Executive Officer, Tilafono David Hunter.

It's the culmination of negotiations with the Australian Department of Agriculture which should see fresh taro exports back on after the 2011 taro leaf blight ban.

Currently only frozen taro are allowed in to Australia.

In March the Samoan industry satisfied Australia's biosecurity requirements.

Samoa sends both frozen and fresh taro to New Zealand, American Samoa, and the United States including Hawaii.

Director of Research and Development Division William Wigmore said that it was in August 2015 that he took the samples to Samoa.

“These materials were provided to the Samoan Ministry of Agriculture for testing against the blight under quarantine protocols and we are still awaiting results,” Wigmore said.

He said they are hoping to get some promising information on the performance of the samples against the leaf blight disease. 

Wigmore said only one species of common taro with the botanical name Colocasia esculenta was taken.    

Ulamila Lutu is currently attending the inaugural World Congress on Root and Tuber Crops in Nanning, Guangxi, which brings together around 750 key industry stakeholders including farmers, researchers, the private sector and donor agencies.