Taro corms are exported to New Zealand, and are a popular product with the Pacific consumer sector. Taro exports are a significant portion of Samoa’s export revenue, accounting for 14% of all exports, and being the largest horticultural export. However, taro are a challenging product from a biosecurity perspective owing to the presence of mites and nematodes, soil residues, the nature of the corm – which is pitted and rough with many crevices and holes – and the presence of dead leaf stems, which are very fibrous. Thus, nearly all imported taro from the Pacific Islands are fumigated with methyl bromide (MeBr). The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) wishes to reduce the application of MeBr – an ozone-depleting gas – because its use is being limited (recapture requirements), and its general use is being more closely examined worldwide.

PHAMA Plus Market Evaluation of the Taro HPW+HWT for export v1.0 FINAL (Sep 2021) (1)