The Solomon Islands Prime Minister, Manasseh Sogavare, told New Zealand Foreign Minister, Murray McCully, who has been in Honiara this week, that his country wants to export root crops to New Zealand.
Solomon Islands Prime Minister, Manasseh Sogavare, speaking at the UN. Photo: UN
He told Mr McCully crop farmers could export cassava, taro, yam, panna and kava.
At the moment the crops go mainly to the domestic market.
Mr Sogavare said New Zealand had a ready market with its large population of Pacific Islanders.
He pointed out that Samoa, Fiji, Tonga and Vanuatu were already able to export taro and kava to New Zealand.
Mr McCully said he will raise the request but said the bio-security arrangements between the two countries would need to be secured first.