Farmers feel sting of talo export

Efforts by local farmers to address the glut of talo in Samoa have hit a snag.

Local markets are flooded with underpriced bundles of talo with some at the cost of $10 and $5; if it’s a really bad day.

For some farmers, the next best option seemed to be to export talo to American Samoa, the nearest overseas market.

But the future of that market is uncertain with the price dropping, numerous fees and with farmers again are being left with real doubts about the viability.

At the Matautu wharf on Thursday, there were plenty of sacks of talo ready to be shipped off to American Samoa.

For seven years, Tapu Oloaga from Falealili has been sending sacks of talo to American Samoa on the Lady Naomi ferry.

“In the past years, the market was promising but I can’t say the same thing about its future,” said Mr. Oloaga.

The farmer said talo was in short supply in American Samoa in the past, but not anymore.

“People in Pago are starting to work their own plantations,” he said.

“Just recently, their price on the talo has dropped,” he said.

“And that is because the people there are selling their own talo from their plantations at a much lower rate and that leaves us with trouble.”

“For us, it means that sending these talo is unprofitable but where else can we take them?”

Mr. Oloaga said not only the price in American Samoa has fallen but the “numerous paper work and fees at the wharf” is not helpful.

He pointed out that a pound is 50c which is equivalent to $1.00 per kilogram.

Mr. Oloaga said the process of sending talo is “complicated, expensive and consumes a lot of time going from one place to another.”

“For the 15 sacks of talo, I have to pay $1,600,” he said.

“Quarantine also has a fee of $14 for the sacks, while at Customs, you are required to pay $10 for the paper work,” he added.

“There’s a fee of $16 for shipping and the wharf also has their own fee."

“You would think the pallet would be for free since you don’t take it with you; it stays with the office but they charge $15 for using it to place your talo on it and then another $8.

“After sending the sacks, I spend about $2,000 on the process and it’s just not worth it with all the hard work, time and the long drive to town.”

Asked why go on with exporting the talo if it’s not profitable, Mr. Oloaga said he does it for their village.

“Where else will our village take their talo with the situation at the market?” said Mr. Oloaga.

“This is our help to our villagers to send their talo to a market where it’s not wasted and will guarantee some money back."

“The government should assist us with reducing the fees and to make the market much easier for us to access than the long complicated processes.”

Mr. Oloaga operates a plantation and also helps farmers from Satalo, Vaovai and Matautu of Falealili by sending their sacks to American Samoa.

The farmer suggested that the responsible offices that have fees for shipments should have a central based office at Matautu to make it convenient for people to pay all their fees at one place.

Leuo Taugauli Mariner from Vaisaulu Savai’i agrees.

For months Leuo has been shipping talo to American Samoa but since the rate dropped in late March, he has decided to cease the operation.

“It wasn’t worth it,” he said shaking his head.

“Back then, I’d catch the ferry from Savai’i;

that costs me $100 for the vehicle to bring the talo here."

“There was that, then the many fees at the wharf from customs, shipping and Ports Authority, it was just a lot of side expenses."

“After taking away all the expenses, transportation of talo to the wharf there is barely any profit…it was just not worth it.”

Leuo said he used to supply about ten restaurants in American Samoa.

But after the drop from US$1 to 80c for a pound, he decided the option was no longer profitable.

The farmer from Vaisaulu also blamed business people who buy sacks of talo and sell them in American Samoa at a very competitive price.

“I wasn’t able to lower the price for my talo compared to the rate given by these business people,” he said.

“It saddens me that we farmers work hard to grow our crops and fight to get markets but it’s business people with money who are making it difficult for us to keep our prices at a rate that is reasonable."

“They offer a much lower prices to prevent us farmers from getting that extra dollar,” complained Leuo.

“I wish there was some law that gave us low income farmers the benefit of selling our goods without the competition from big businesses that have money.”

Leuo was at the wharf yesterday with his sacks of talo to ship off to American Samoa.

This time the sacks of talo were not for him to sell and make some money, but to help his relatives fa’alavelave.

Gauvao Malolo from Lefaga was also at Matautu.

It was his first time sending his talo to the island and already he’s feeling the sting.

“I didn’t think it would be this difficult with the paper work and fees,” said Mr. Malolo. “I used to sell my talo at the market and also to some restaurants but since the local market has fallen, I decided this would be a better option."

“But I think this will be my last time in sending talo to Pago."

“From my calculations, there isn’t much profit after all the fees and expenses.”

Mr. Malolo said he is now looking for containers being shipped off to New Zealand and the United States with the hope it would give him a better price for his talo.

The Samoa Ports Authority Chief Executive Officer, Tufuga Fagaloa Tufuga said it’s the Shipping Corporation that deals with cargo at the wharf.

He said the Authority only has a wharfage fee for any ship that arrives in Samoa.

“The wharfage fee is for anyone to pay for handling of cargo at the wharf and we have our own formula of that depending on the size of the piece,” he said.

Tufuga also agreed that a centralised office is something worth considering “I think that the government agencies should look at a centralised place for the different agencies,” he said.

“Customs is doing their best but a centralised place is definitely something that the government should look at for convenience.”

It was not possible to get a comment from the General Director of the Shipping Corporation yesterday.

His secretary said he was busy with meetings but would get back when he was available.