13 Aug 2021

Hot demand for Koko

From Country Life, 9:14 pm on 13 August 2021

One of the biggest cocoa producers in Samoa has seen a huge surge in orders and says they're from Samoans abroad wanting a taste of home.

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Photo: Supplied

Covid-19 travel restrictions have many Samoans living abroad yearning for a taste of home.

The managing director of Savai'i Koko, Saleimoa Vaa'i says there's been a huge surge in orders for the paste used to make the much-loved traditional drink, koko Samoa.

"When the borders were open people used to travel and of course informally export the cocoa with them, but with Covid (restrictions),  it's introduced a need or a want from a lot of our people overseas wanting cocoa...

"The demand overseas has been so high that we are seeing a lot of our cocoa being exported via paste to countries like New Zealand and Australia."

Savai'i Koko exports mainly cocoa beans and has about 120,000 trees on a 120 ha plantation.

New Zealand company Whittaker's Chocolate is its biggest customer.

Whittaker's 'Single Origin Samoan Cacao' using Trinitario Cocoa beans from the Vaai Family Plantation in Savaii

Whittaker's 'Single Origin Samoan Cacao' using Trinitario Cocoa beans from Savaii Photo: RNZI