30 Jul 2009

Samoa company looks to tap into gap left by American Samoa cannery

6:52 pm on 30 July 2009

A food company says its plan to establish its own fish processing plant in Samoa could benefit from the shutdown of American Samoa's Chicken of the Sea cannery.

The managing director of Natural Foods International, Papalii Grant Percival, says it's conducting a feasibility study into the project as a result of concerns about the closure of the cannery and the impact it will have on two plants in Samoa.

He says the idea's being explored because they want to save jobs as 80 percent of the workforce in American Samoa is from Samoa.

"I've actually taken four trade missions to American Samoa and we've visited the Cannery everytime and there is already a substantial workforce from there, who are well-trained and in some cases the best workers they've had. The reality is that there will be a substantial number coming back and there are a substantial number here available already."

Papalii Grant Percival says it's talking with Government and investors about the proposal.