Even those employed in the wages and salary sector often supplement their incomes with agricultural production. The agricultural sub-sector was also responsible for just under 30 percent of Samoa s export revenue in 1999. However, agriculture and the economy are vulnerable to the potentially destabilizing impacts of external shocks, such as fluctuating commodity prices, exchange rate movements and changes in the economic policies of major trading partners. The taro leaf blight outbreak of 1993 was also catastrophic, destroying taro production and exports. Production of taro, the most important food staple in Samoa, as well as a significant export commodity, has only just begun to recover.
Diversification is one strategy for combatting uncertainty in production and markets.
ADB will assist in the preparation of a study of the agro-processing sector and financial assistance aimed to assist export growth and diversification, for meat, food crops, and horticultural produce.