Results for Agriculture

The first shipment of Tongan squash for 2006 to Japan and a new market Korea will leave Nuku'alofa next week with 2,300 tonnes of squash.

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 fifth and the final shipment of Tongan squash is expected to leave Tonga for Japan on November 12.

After Tonga's squash growers this week became totally confused over how the new Consumption Tax applied to their businesses, the Minister of Finance has come out and promised them exemption from the CT on agricultural imports.

When the last squash ship left Nuku‘alofa early this month for Japan it concluded the 2004 squash season. Tonga exported a total of 13,00 tones to Japan this year.

Queen Halaevalu Mata‘aho will officially open Tonga's 2004 Agricultural and Industrial Show at Angaha, Niuafo‘ou, on August 25.

After weeks of wrangling over the proposed $6.3 million loan by Tongatapu squash exporters, from the Tonga Development Bank, $2 million has been approved.

Tonga’s export market for its treasured yams would increase if Tonga and its main trading partners New Zealand and Australia could agree on ways to eliminate fumigation for this product, say exporters in Nuku‘alofa. From Matangi Tonga Magazine Vol. 18, no. 3, December 2003.

In any disaster, there are always a few survivors and this is true of Tonga's squash industry this year. While most of the 2000 Tongan squash growers this season will face a huge financial loss because they will be paid only 15 to 20 seniti per kg of squash, a lucky few will receive between 61 and 84 seniti per kg.