There is not a lot of growth in ava production in Samoa but its export out of the country is not as vibrant as it used to be, says a Samoan ava exporter.

In an interview with the Samoa Observer on Tuesday, the Wilex Group founder and Managing Director, Tagaloa Eddie Wilson said there is still a lot of potential for Samoans to get into ava production as he has not seen much growth in the sector.

He said currently Samoa's ava export market is not as "vibrant" as it used to be and local farmers could be turning away due to the long four-year wait for the crop to reach full maturity.

“There is not a lot of growth in the production of the Ava. The export right now is not as vibrant as what we need it to be,” said Tagaloa. “One of the biggest issues of the ava is the fact that it takes four years before you can even earn your money off it. 

"It is a long-term crop and in the meantime, the farmers need money to survive."

However, this challenge can be addressed if the Government assisted by looking for markets for Samoan ava overseas and the expansion of the ava-based product, said the long-time businessman.

“If we can get assistance from our Government in looking for a market for our ava it would be very helpful. Some things we can look at are the development of ava-based products to increase the product range.” 

Tagaloa said ava remains one of the most profitable crops in the Pacific Islands due to the high price it can attract on the overseas market. 

Discussing the demand for ava consumption, he said there is an increase in ava drinkers, who are moving away from alcohol due to rising prices. 

“The demand is rising locally and we have noticed that its consumption has increased perhaps due to the price of alcohol however there is a consistency in people buying Ava,” he said. “I encourage the younger people to drink ava instead of alcohol, not only is it affordable, it encourages social harmony in the community while alcohol almost always results in violence so ava is a much wiser option for all."

“Right now we are working with [Samoa] Government agencies and the ava industry to develop new products using ava and there are plenty of opportunities for us to explore."

Tagaloa is in the regional Kava Working Group that looks at a development strategy for the Pacific islands to market the commodity and its product. Their vision is in relation to respect for ava's traditional and cultural heritage that envisions a resilient, robust and high-quality ava industry.