Tonga to export more squash this year [1]
Tuesday, August 8, 2006 - 16:57. Updated on Saturday, May 10, 2014 - 18:27.
Tongan squash exports could reach 12,600 tonnes this year, the Secretary General of the Tonga Squash Council, Stephen Edwards estimated at the end of the squash-planting season this week, more than the 12560 tonnes exported last year.
He said that 10,000 tonnes will be for the Japanese market and 2,600 tonnes will be for Korea. Tonga is exporting squash to Korea for the first time this year, "and hopefully depending on this year...s situation, it will tend to gradually increase over the years."
The Squash Council will meet on Saturday August 13 at the completion of the 2006 planting season. Steven said that planters were currently planting 2 kilos of squash seeds per acre.
Simi Sefanaia from the Tonga Development Bank said yesterday, August 7, that only $2.1 million pa'anga out off the $3.2 million that was allocated by the bank for squash growers this year has been lent, "a marked contrast to the $3.1 million pa...anga loaned by growers from the bank during the 2005 squash season."
The harvesting of this year's squash season will start on October, and the first shipment of Tongan squash for Japan will leave Nuku'alofa on November.