From the House by Pesi Fonua

The stoppage of Tongan watermelon exports to New Zealand and kava exports to Australia is having a drastic impact on the Tongan economy, Tu'i'afitu told the Tongan Parliament this week.

On October 20 Lord  Tu'i'afitu, Chairman of the Whole House Committee, called on government to take action immediately to ease the burden the watermelon growers in particular are facing.

Tonga’s two main watermelon exporters are Nishi Trading and the Tonga Farmers’ Co-operative Ltd. These exporters have their own growers.

Matangi Tonga could not get any confirmed figures of the number of growers affiliated with Nishi Trading, but the Tonga Farmers’ Co-operative Ltd. have 43 growers.

Watermelon is in abundant supply throughout Tonga at the moment, and because of the stoppage for its export, the price has dropped on the local market to, probably, its lowest ever. Export quality fruit are selling for $3-$5 pa'anga along roadsides on Tongatapu as desperate growers try to sell thousands of watermelons.

Fruit fly larvae

Radio New Zealand yesterday also reported that the importation of watermelon from Tonga to New Zealand was halted after live fruit fly larvae were detected in a consignment of watermelon from Tonga.

Hon. Samiu Vaipulu, the Minister for the Ministry of Trade and Economic Development confirmed that three of the four containers of watermelon that were first exported to New Zealand, were infected by fruit fly larvae.

Losaline Ma’asi, the No. 5 People Representative for Tongatapu, and a former Minister of Agriculture, expressed her concern with a lack of expertise in the ministry to oversee the process of growing agricultural products for export.

She pointed out that the Ministry is without a number of experts in various sectors. Before there were experts, but now they do not even have an expert on insects; “he has left for overseas”.

With the continuing border closure it will take a long time to get new expert advisers into Tonga.

According to information from the Ministry of Agriculture, watermelon, is the only agricultural product where its export process has been structured properly, to assure that there will be no disruption, but obviously the fruit fly larvae had managed to get into the containers of watermelon.

Apology

The Minister for the Ministry of Agriculture, Lord Tu’ilakepa told the House that they were working to solve the problem and they had recruited a few experts. He said that New Zealand needed the watermelon, “but we have to fix the problem. My apology to the people.”

Hon. Samiu Vaipulu after lunch told the House that he met the New Zealand High Commissioner to Tonga, and a New Zealand expert would visit Tonga at the end of this month to check on the process of preparing water melon for export to New Zealand.

A decision on what to do next will be based on the report of the expert. Hon. Samiu Vaipulu is hoping Tonga can negotiate possibly 10 trial watermelon shipments before they make a final decision.

Kava

With regard to Australia banning the import of Tongan kava, there was no comment from government, but last week after the Cabinet returned from a long weekend at ‘Eua, the Prime Minister Hon. Dr Pohiva Tu’I’onetoa reported on a big kava plantation at ‘Eua. He also commented that Kava Legislation would to be introduced into the House, and how Kava could be exported as a food product.

On the issue of trade between Tonga, New Zealand and Australia, it is interesting to note that the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations PACERPlus will come into force on 13 December 2020.