28 Oct 2016

American Samoa suspends local vegetable sale and use

4:12 pm on 28 October 2016

The American Samoa Department of Agriculture has suspended until further notice the use of many locally grown vegetables in the School Lunch Program.

Exceptions have been made for hydroponically grown vegetables, as well as local taro and green and ripe bananas.

The sale of all produce except those grown hydroponically has also been suspended.

An agriculture official says routine farm inspections this month by their compliance officers uncovered numerous violations by local farmers.

The violations include the use of toxic and foreign pesticides, poor storage and sanitation facilities and the use of human waste as fertiliser.

Last year the department confiscated about 130 kilograms of locally-grown vegetables which breached regulations.

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