Taro tangle costly

Mana (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 10, 10 November 1977, Page 1

Taro tangle costly

Auckland's Pacific Island community is complaining bitterly about the high price of staple foods like taro and yams. Members of the five Pacific Island communities (Samoan. Niuean. Tongan, Cook , Islands and Tokelauan) complained to the Department of Trade and Industry recently about the extreme food prices. The complainants told the Department that taro, yams and bananas were an important part of their ceremonial and social functions as well as being a basic food item. The group requested the

Trade and Industry Department to investigate the pricing system with a view of putting a price control on taro and yams like there was for bananas. “It was not clear to us why the price of taro has suddenly shot up to 90 cents a pound from the 45 cents a pound it was a few weeks ago." says the group. “What makes it even shocking is the fact that the taro stem that is left attached to the taro root is so long that we are actuallypaying for something we do not eat. We remember the fuss that arose out of potatoes which came into the market with extra dirt on them! We cannot see why we should pay for inedible taro stems. A stem of 2cm is reasonable but you can imagine the extra money we have to fork out when the stem is up to 10cm long." The groups complaint was not overlooked by the Trade and Industry Department. "Taro is not commercially grown in New Zealand and all Taro sold is imported, the main source of supply being from Western Samoa — Fiji — Tonga. A small quantity being received from the Cook Islands and the Solomons," replied the Department. "Over the past two to three months Taro has been in extremely short supply due mainly to poor climatic conditions prevailing in the Islands over the past six months. “Shipments of Ecuador bananas which usually arrive in Auckland in a green state, have, over the past few months, arrived in a

condition classed as beginning to ripen naturally. In this condition their shop life as a green banana has be-

come very limited and this has caused a greater demand for Taro.

“The quality of Taro arriving by sea freight over the past three months has been extremely indifferent and although some excellent quality has been received, the shortage has resulted in top prices being paid at auction of $2O to $37 per case, including cases of inferior quality which would under normal supply conditions fetch only $2 to $3 per case. “Recent shipments have been by Air from Fiji and this type normally fetches lower prices than the Western Samoan variety. It is arriving in polythene bags containing 22 kilograms and the quality is fair. Auction prices for these shipments have been realising up to $27 per bag.” “Retailers are selling Taro virtually at cost in order to attract customers for other items. Prices being charged at the present time are the highest ever known in Auckland for this commodity varying from 49 cents to 95 cents per pound. It is normal practice for retailers to sell by the case or bag. “Taro is also exported from Western Samoa and Fiji to Tahiti — Hawaii — U.S. mainland and Van-

couver in quantitites which is known to have realised high prices. Without doubt, these shipments would have a marked affect on the supplies to the New Zealand market. “It is understood that stems are left attached in order to prolong the life of - the Taro in shipment, and past experience by the importers when this commodity has been received without stems, has resulted in some cargoes having to be destroyed due to the rapid deterioration in transit,’’ concludes the Trade and Industry Department. A spokesperson for the group who made the complaint, says it’s his personal opinion that the Department’s reply was yet another bureaucratic treatment of a serious problem. “We’ve come up against a stone wall and can’t do a thing about it although we still feel something could be done to lower the price of taro and yams,” says the spokesperson. Meanwhile, coconut radio reports that the price has gone down a little in Auckland but chances are the downturn is only temporary, maybe it’s time to produce a New Zealand strain of taro grown commercially under special conditions.