Samoa's Ministry of Agriculture is eyeing New Zealand's lucrative $US170 million banana market and expects its first exports of a new species of banana in coming months.
Banana Photo: RNZ / Alexander Robertson
Agriculture Minister Lopao'o Natanielu Mu'a said the species from Israel had been selected as the best for the export market.
He said the first shipment grown in Samoa is expected to head to New Zealand by September.
The minister said farmers were being warned to look after their banana crops as they had to be pest and disease free in order to qualify for export.
He explained this is one of the reasons for the Ministry working closely with the country's big commercial farmers.
He said banana growing is cost and labour intensive and an agreement had been reached with them to provide smaller scale farmers with planting suckers at no cost.