PHAMA Plus builds on the work of PHAMA and aims to increase the production of disease tolerant taro to support increased exports of fresh and frozen taro from Samoa that have an appropriate level of quality. Samoa needed to rebuild its taro export trade after recovering from taro leaf blight (TLB) which decimated production and meant Samoa could no longer export to Australia.

PHAMA Plus’ work to increase taro exports successfully promoting TLB-resistant fresh varieties and frozen taro, built on work by the Government of Samoa (GoS) (MAF and SROS), DFAT, SPC, USP and ACIAR. PHAMA’s support for exports of fresh taro contributed to the six-fold increase in exports from $350,000 in 2011 to $2.2m in 2015. Commercialisation of frozen taro to Australia started in 2016 with support from PHAMA and PHAMA Plus.