Pacific

American Samoa Farmers Association hope to export overseas

11:42 am on 31 October 2012

The American Samoa Farmers Association is hoping to export locally grown agricultural products to overseas markets.

Local farmers are concerned about the fast pace in which agricultural commodities enter the territory to be sold at local stores and see Samoa imports as their competitors.

A farmer Avei Sopoaga, told Samoa News that agricultural products such as taro and vegetables that are imported to local stores in American Samoa have taken away the opportunity for local farmers to sell their produce to the same stores.

Mr Sopoaga says this has become a serious concern for local farmers, who have to compete with off-island farmers.

He says one option is to identify off-island markets to export goods from the territory.