Samoa is named as the 14th country amongst 71 developing countries in the world known for their heavy reliance on imported food as outlined in the UN Food and Agriculture’s Food Outlook 2022-2023.

The report stated that the food inflation in net food importing developing countries (NFIDCs) that includes Samoa, given their dependence on food imports to meet food security needs and the relatively high share of food in their household budgets.

“It examines the extent to which changes in international prices for wheat, maize and rice have impacted the NFIDCs, taking into account movements in exchange rates,” the report reads.

Samoa and Papua New Guinea are the only Pacific island countries in the top 20 of the list with Sri Lanka on top.

From May 2022 to May of this year, the F.A.O food price indices of sugar increased from 120.4 to 157.6; Vegetable oils decreased from 229.2 to 118.7; Cereals dropped from 173.5 to 129.7; Dairy also dropped from 144.2 to 118.7; Meat reduced from 122.9 to 117.9; while the food price index dropped from 158.1 to 124.3.

The report states that while international food commodity prices have generally declined since reaching their highest levels in March 2022, domestic food prices in many countries remain high or continue to increase.

“International sugar prices, as measured by the International Sugar Agreement’s daily prices for raw sugar, have trended upwards since the release of the last issue of the Food Outlook report in November 2022, underpinned mainly by a tighter global balance following reduced production expectations in China, the European Union, India, Mexico and Thailand,” the outlook states.

“The slow start of the 2023 harvest in Brazil due to above-average rains, which also raised concerns over the production recovery rate, also sustained the pressure on sugar prices. In addition, the overall appreciation of the Brazilian real against the United States dollar since December 2022 has restrained Brazil’s exports and contributed to the increase in world sugar prices.

“However, the general decline in global crude oil prices since mid-2022 encouraged a greater use of sugarcane for sugar production, limiting the rise in sugar prices.”

Meanwhile, there is a current sugar shortage in Samoa and sellers have raised the prices of sugar by themselves mainly in retail shops in the villages.

On another note, the cost of locally-produced food in Samoa such as crops and fishes have also spiked in a span of approximately four years.

The cost for a ta'amu in 2021 for most sellers was less than a hundred tala. However, some sellers are now selling it for $300 such as a viral photo of a farmer selling his taamu crop for $300 at the Fugalei market.

It is understood that it is the same case with other crops that are normally sold either on the sides of the road or at the markets such as taro, banana and more including fishes.