Tonga this year has secured a second market for its squash, Korea, and it is hoped this will encourage growers who have lost confidence after their worst year in 2005.

The Secretary General of the Tonga Squash Council, Stephen Edwards said today that the advantage of the Korean squash market is that it provides a market for light-weight Tongan squash, ranging from 900 grams to 1.3kg. The Japanese would not buy squash that is less than 1.2kg each.

Despite an increase in the demand for Tongan squash in Asia, Stephen said that it was unfortunate that fewer growers were growing this season, "because many of the growers have lost their confidence in the squash industry, and have withdrawn".

The 2005 squash season was the worst ever, so bad that the Squash Council had to borrow from the Tonga Development Bank to give the growers some cash. The total export to Japan in 2005 was 12,000 tonnes, some 1000 tonnes less than their target, and then tonnes of Tongan squash were presumed to be rotten and were dumped in Japan.

Stephen said that the trend this year was for the 16 exporters to grow more acres of squash. One new exporter this year is Quality Exporters Ltd.

The Tonga Development Bank this year has earmarked $3.2 million to be lent to growers but according to Steve, so far a substantial amount of the squash loan allocation has not been taken up.

He said that land preparation for squash growing was already well on the way and the planting was set to start on July 1.