The American Samoa Director of Agriculture Lealao Mel Purcell is confident that in five years time the territory can supply its first order of cocoa to the United States.
During discussions with the Indonesian Ambassador to the United States yesterday, Lealao explained his department's push to revive the planting of cocoa, a tree which used to grow in abundance in the territory.
Mr Purcell says there is a sure market for American Samoan grown cocoa in the US.
The Indonesian Ambassador to the United States Dr Dino Patti Djalal has offered to send experts from one of Indonesia's agricultural research centers to discuss investment opportunities to develop a cocoa industry and advice on technical needs.
"What are the technologies that you would need that we can help you with? So one is the specific technologies and secondly what would be the investment needed if you find the right people that would be interested."
Indonesian Ambassador to the United States Dr Dino Patti Djalal.
