11 Mar 2006

Samoa urged to cultivate kava ahead of anticipated end to ban

10:44 am on 11 March 2006

The co-chair of the Pacific International Kava Executive Council Eddie Wilson says growers in Samoa should be ready with their supplies once the European Union lifts the current ban on kava.

Mr Wilson has met the Minister of Agriculture To'omata Ropati to discuss ways to push for a revival of the kava industry in Samoa.

The industry collapsed when the EU imposed a ban on imports following concerns that kava was harmful.

The Samoa Observer reports that Mr Wilson is confident that if the weather was good growers would respond quickly once the ban is lifted.

There is a Pacific Leaders' Meeting with the president of France in Paris in late-June to strengthen the Pacific's push for the removal of the ban.

The kava council proposes, through the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, that after the Paris meeting, Pacific leaders should meet the German Chancellor to push their case.