Transcript
AFAMASAGA TOLEAFOA: It's a virus, which actually they trying to identify and what they've done, the Ministry of Agriculture, actually sent the virus to Germany to identify. But obviously they might have done this before with other viruses in the past. Yeah, we did have a major virus in the early 1990s, which wiped out the taro industry.
SELA JANE AHOLELEI: From that history of the virus outbreak on taro crops in the early 1990s, what has Samoa learnt from that experience?
AT: All the species, the variety that was taken out by the virus is no longer around. It's gone. In the last twelve, thirteen years there's been a lot of research done here to introduce new varieties and to marry them, not only here in Samoa, but also with the help of the south Pacific commission. That work has resulted in a new variety, which will be more resistant to viruses of this kind. This is a scientific explanation, but they say with the blending of the different varieties with the different qualities from all over the Pacific, they've come up with a species that have got a much wider genetic make up able to resist different types of diseases and viruses than the original varieties that we had in Samoa. We're hoping that in the end the ministry people believe that once they identify the virus that with the prevention measures they are doing at the moment like isolating the districts and stopping any transfer of material or taro from there to other areas, that this will be sufficient. Not only isolation, but to treat it to keep any damage to minimal level.
SJA - American Samoa usually rely on taro imports from Samoa - will they be able to cope with taro supplies given the current ban on imports?
AT - You know it depends very much on the weather. The taro is a bit of a sensitive to climate, to dryness and it requires a lot of water, so during the dry months you know there is a tendency to import more taro from this side, but normally otherwise when their supplies are up, imports from here drop off quite substantially. In many ways I suppose we'll be able to get by on taro and breadfruit of course is another staple food here and that's in plentiful supply. Although it is a seasonal crop, so again people will turn to eat more breadfruit when there is a shortage of the more preferred taro.
SJA: What information is the Ministry of Agriculture telling the farmers in Samoa with the sudden virus breakout?
AT: The ministry people are saying to not be too alarmed. The ministry has also advised that often these types of viruses - it's a bit like the flu I suppose, they are determined by the weather. That at certain times, maybe when there's a lot of water, a lot of rain. The virus that knocked off the taro industry in the past occurred after two very severe cyclones here that sort of happened almost at the same time, one year after the other. After that then the virus came in. There were two cyclones in the region in April well after the official cyclone period had been declared over. You know, the ministry I think are suggesting the weather conditions may have had something to do with the flaring up of this particular virus. But they need to find out exactly what it is.
