15 May 2009

Samoa village has workers plant extra taro before heading to New Zealand

1:19 pm on 15 May 2009

A village in Samoa has moved to ensure that there's no shortage of taro while their villagers are working in orchards in New Zealand.

A matai of Poutasi Falealili and businessman Tuatagaloa Joe Annandale says workers recruited for New Zealand's Recognised Seasonal Employer Scheme, or RSE, have first to plant 5,000 taro for the village.

He says this is a requirement imposed by the village council to ensure the village does not miss too much of the labour of their young men who will be away for months on the RSE.

Tuatagaloa says care is being taken to ensure there is some manpower left behind to maintain the taro plantation and enough women to do the work of caring for their families and carrying out village duties.