Checks on taro push up price of Pacific staple

Falling exports could see a Pacific Island staple, the taro, priced off the menu for low-income New Zealanders.

The Pacific Island Trade and Investment Commission has warned that taro could become a luxury item as some importers stop bringing in the root vegetable because of costs associated with the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996.

The commission's senior trade marketing officer, Louisa Sifakula, said the costs of importing taro were rising despite the falling cost of wholesale taro.

Although retail prices had so far remained the same at up to $3 a kg, that could change depending on the number of importers bringing in fresh taro, she said.

Fiji exported $7.5 million worth of taro to New Zealand in 2003, down from $9.5 million in 2001.

Tonga taro exports to New Zealand fell 38 per cent in 2003 and Niue was only slowly rebuilding its exports.

Mrs Sifakula said some major taro importers, including Turners & Growers and Mellow Foods, had reduced their shipments because of the expense involved in identifying organisms on taro, as required under the act.

"Although there is a steady demand, many importers are now slowly moving away from taro because of the high cost associated with importing the product as a result of the new legislation."

Pacific Island farmers were seeing their margins whittled away, she said.

Last June, 30kg of Fijian pink taro sold for about $68 wholesale. At the moment it fetches $48.

"Despite the fall in the wholesale price of taro, retail prices have yet to follow," Mrs Sifakula said.

She told a Pacific Island Round Table meeting last week that importers were concerned at the rising costs of bringing in produce from the Pacific.

They wanted clarification on the applications of the Hazardous Substances Act and the Biosecurity Act 1993.

The Hazardous Substances Act covers any new organisms introduced to New Zealand and the Biosecurity Act covers organisms already known to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

Since the acts were introduced, costs for importing fresh produce from the Pacific had increased markedly as all organisms found on plant material must be identified, Mrs Sifakula said.

The ministry has set up an inter-departmental group to discuss issues surrounding the acts, but a policy paper is not expected to go to the Cabinet until later in the year.

Biosecurity NZ's plant adviser for the Pacific, Bronwyn Wiseman, agreed that an interpretation was needed to assist importers.