Samoa

The Samoa Government’s Department of Statistics (DOS), in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forests, Fisheries & Meteorology (MAFFM)

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) provided technical support under its Technical Cooperation Programme.

The Agriculture Census and Statistics project for Samoa began in April 1999 and was completed with the official launch of the Census document on the 24th of November 2000. It was the second agricultural census to take place in Samoa since the first in 1989.
In preparation for the census, training sessions for users/producers, supervisors and enumerators were held. One consultant in agricultural statistics and two specialists in Field Operations and Data Processing provided external assistanceto the two departments.

The first census produced comprehensive data on the agricultural sector, but the relevance and usefulness of the data was relatively short-lived due to the devastating effects of the two cyclones in 1990 and 1991. Another damaging event that caused major structural changes to the sector was the onset of the taro leaf blight in 1993. Consequently, there arose a need for up-to-date agricultural statistics so that planning, sustainable development and policy-making decisions could be based on realistic and objective criteria, in order to increase agricultural production, ensure food security and raise the standard of living for all people. Agriculture is important in Samoa, accounting for 12 per cent of total GDP in 1998 with fisheries contributing a further 6 per cent. However, its real goal is to utilize an accurate and organized agricultural census in order to provide a means of livelihood in terms of food security for the large majority of people in Samoa, who have endured major agricultural changes in the last ten years.

This project addresses Chapter VI of the Barbados Programme of Action on land resources, and Chapter X on national institutions and administrative capacity.

The results of the 1999 Census of Agriculture are an up-to-date and complete picture of the changes that have taken place during this ten-year period, during which the structure of the agricultural sector has changed following the external shocks caused by the cyclones and the taro leaf blight. The area of taro has been reduced by almost 70 per cent while the area of other major food staples such as taamu (Alocasia) and banana has increased significantly to substitute for this shortfall in taro. Even though there was awareness of this substitution, the details of its extent are now known.

In addition, these results have provided the Government with a starting point from which to move forward. The census found that overall some 80 per cent of the households were agriculturally active. Nevertheless, with a closer examination of the census it was shown that on Savaii and in the more rural areas of Upolu the percentage is as high as 96 per cent, which further confirms the continuing importance of agriculture in the traditional lifestyle of Samoa.

In the rapidly changing and dynamic economic environment of Samoa, a census conducted every ten years cannot provide accurate information. There is a need for regular flow of timely and reliable statistics on crop areas, production, agricultural prices, costs of production, livestock and much more in terms of monitoring, planning and policy making. As a result, the FAO project, DOS and MAFFM have developed the first round of what would be an annual agricultural survey. This survey is currently being conducted on a sample basis and involves approximately 10 per cent of households in Samoa. The results of this survey will give an indication of what changes have taken place since the previous census. If it is conducted each year, Samoa will never be in the position again of relying on data that was ten years out of date. This annual survey will benefit from the support of the Government and will hopefully become a long-term development objective. This project can help develop a sustainable system for food and agricultural statistics, so that policy and administrative decisions are based on up-to-date, realistic and objective criteria. These reforms will increase agricultural production, ensure food security and raise the standard of living for all the people of Samoa.

Mr. Laupu’a Fiti
National Project Coordinator (TCP/SAM/8921)
Department of Statistics, Apia, Samoa
Tel.: (685) 63600
Fax: (685) 24675
E-mail: lfiti98@lesamoa.net