Samoa's Minister of Finance, Niko Lee Hang says the country should try and substitute imported staples such as rice and flour with local foods.
He says soaring fuel prices will continue to drive up the cost of these basic food items.
Mr. Lee Hang suggests that people should produce more bananas and taro and products such as beef , chicken and poultry.
The Finance Minister told the Samoa Observer, that import substitution would save the government 's foreign reseves.
Mr Lee Hang lamented that the increase in production costs for rice and flour has driven up the price of bakery products.
