The Tongan squash industry is fighting for its survival after more than 80 percent of growers withdrew from planting the vegetable.
The kingdom started growing squash in 1988 and it has become one of its major exports to mainly Japan and South Korea.
But the Squash Council's secretary, Stephen Edwards, says increased costs of imported seeds and fertilisers, higher freights rates and low prices for the crop on the world market have scared many growers away.
Mr Edwards says as a result Tonga will export less than half of last year's harvest.
"We have had bad years and as a result of the bad years the prices were bad and the costs were high and the growers didn't get a good pay out. As a result of that about 80 percent of the growers withdrew from growing squash. That's the reason why the tonnage has declined from 10 200 last year to an estimated 5000 tonnes this year."
Stephen Edwards hopes the small tonnage will fetch a better price which he says will determine the industry's survival.
