KEYNOTE ADDRESS by Hon. Niuava Eti Leatiogie Malolo Funefeai, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries (19 March 2025)
Your Excellency Fei Mingxing, Ambassador of the Government of the People’s Republic of China in Samoa,
Distinguished Representatives from the Government of the People’s Republic of China,
Our SCATAP Chinese Expert Team,
Our MAF colleagues,
Our SCATAP Model Farmers,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Talofa Lava and Warm Greetings to You All!
It is with great pleasure that I stand before you today on this momentous occasion, the official handover of agricultural aid materials, provided through the Samoa-China Agricultural Technical Aid Project, SCATAP. The SCATAP initiative, which has been implemented by both Governments of Samoa and the People’s Republic of China for six consecutive phases now since 2010, is a testament to the strong and enduring partnership between our two Governments, in the area of agriculture and food security.
On behalf of the Government of Samoa and the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, I wish to extend our sincere gratitude to the Government of the People’s Republic of China, for their continued support in advancing agricultural development in our small island country.
The generous assistance provided through SCATAP has played a crucial role in strengthening our local farming practices, improving productivity, and enhancing food security and nutrition for our people.
Agriculture remains the backbone of Samoa’s economy, sustaining the livelihoods of many families in our rural communities. It is therefore important that we continue to introduce modern farming techniques, improve seed quality, and promote sustainable practices, to ensure long-term food security and nutrition, and economic resilience. Through SCATAP, we have seen remarkable progress in capacity building, technology transfer, and access to essential farming tools and resources.
Today, as we officially receive these agricultural aid materials, we recognize the positive impact they will have on our farmers and our agricultural sector as a whole. These resources will help us increase production, improve efficiency, and create more opportunities for our farmers to thrive.
To our farmers and stakeholders, I encourage you to use these materials in a way that maximizes its benefits, and the knowledge shared through this partnership. Let us work together to further develop Samoa’s agricultural sector, ensuring economic prosperity, and food security and nutrition for our future generations.
In closing, I wish to again express my sincere appreciation to the Ambassador and Government Representatives of the People’s Republic of China, the dedicated SCATAP Chinese Expert Team, and all those involved in making this development partnership a success, and may it continue to grow for the desired benefits of both our countries.
Soifua ma ia manuia!
TUFATUFAINA ALOAIA O MEAFAIGALUEGA MO LE AU FAIFAATOAGA TAUALA MAI LE POLOKETI A LE SCATAP I LE FAIGAPA’AGA A SAMOA MA SAINA
SAUNOAGA AUTU a le Minisita o Faatoaga ma Faigafaiva le afioga Niuava Eti Leatiogie Malolo Funefeai, (19 Mati 2025)
Lau Afioga i le ali’i Amepasa o le Malo o Saina i Samoa nei, Your Excellency Fei Mingxing,
Afifio sui mai le Malo o Saina,
‘Au faigaluega fa’apitoa a le tatou SCATAP mai Saina,
Sui o paaga tumaoti mo atinae fa’atoaga ma faigafaiva,
Le mamalu o le aufaifa’atoaga,
Talofa, talofa lava.
E muamua ona ou fa’atalofa atu i le suafa manumalo o Iesu Keriso, le Ao o le Ekalesia i lo outou paia , ma lo outou mamalu. Malo afua ailao ua maua, ua poto moli i futiafu e tasi i lo outou soifua maualuga ma le lagi e mama i lenei taeao matagofie, ina ua tatou feiloai i magafetau soifua. Vi’ia le Atua, ma ia fa’amanuina lona Suafa Paia.
Ou te matautia fa’atulou i lenei aofia aemaise o le maimoa fa’afofoga mai a Samoa i lenei aso. E iai le manatu, o paia fa’ataotooto o Samoa ua potopoto, o le a le o’o iai se leo vaivai, aua e taliu ae popoe, ina ne’i le atoa li’o le masina, ona faitauina lea o le tautalaga. Nu’unu’u atu fa’atini o tausala. Ae tatou aumaia mamalu o le Atua e palelae’i ai lenei taeao ua tatou potopoto ai i Nu’u nei, i le Vaega o Laau Toto aua lenei fa’amoemoe taua.
Ae o le a aga’i loa sina fa’amatalaga pu’upu’u i le auga o aute o lenei aso. Ou te tulai atu ai la ma le agaga fiafia tele i o outou luma i lenei taeao, ona o se fa’amoemoe sa fauao, faupo, sa talia lupe o maunu pe taunu’u nei fa’amanuiaga, ae fa’afetai i le Atua ua ia fa’ataunu’uina ma tu’uina mai le avanoa ma lenei laolao e fa’aleo ai ma le loto fa’afetai nei meaalofa ua foaina e le Malo tele o Saina, e tauala mai i le Poloketi o le SCATAP, lea o le a tauaaoina aloaia i lenei taeao mo le tatou Matagaluega o Fa’atoaga ma Faigafaiva, aemaise o ana paaga faifa’atoaga.
O lenei fa’amoemoe na afua mai i taumafaiga a le tatou Malo e tauala mai i le tatou Matagaluega ina ia fa’amalosia le galulue fa’apaaga o Malo e lua (Samoa ma Saina) i le atina’e o fa’atoaga ma le si’itia o le tulaga o le mauaina pea o taumafa mo ona tagata.
E ia te a’u le ava ma le fa’aaloalo e tatau ai e tu’uina atu ai se lagona o le agaga fa’afetai tele lava i le Malo o Saina e fai ma fofoga taumolimoli o le Malo o Samoa, ma le Matagaluega o Fa’atoaga ma Faigafaiva, e tusa ai o nei foa’i taua, e ala i mea faigaluega, atoa ma le lasi o mea ua taua’aoina i lenei aso.
Fa’afetai tele mo le lagolago o lo’o fa’aauauina pea e ala i atina’e eseese ma metotia fou ua fa’asoa mai aua le si’itia o tomai ma agava’a o le mamalu o le aufaifa’atoaga ma le Matagaluega, ina ia si’itia ai le tamaoaiga o le tatou atunu’u e ala i atina’e o fa’atoaga.
E tumau pea le avea o atinae o fa’atoaga ma ivitu malosi o le tamaoaiga o Samoa, lea o lo’o ola fa’alagolago iai aiga uma aua tupe maua ma le tausia o le ola manuia o tagata taitoatasi.
O le fa’asoa mai o tomai ma agava’a fa’anei ona po i le faiga o fa’atoaga, o metotia eseese, ituaiga fatu laau eseese, seia o’o lava i ituaiga faiga o fa’atoaga e mautinoa le fa’aauauina pea ina ia maua pea taumafa, ma e mafai ona pulea gafataulimaina ma tali atu i suiga o le tau.
O nisi o vaega taua o lenei poloketi ua afua ai nei foai e ala i mea faigaluega, ina ia fa’aoga tatau, e aofia ai le si’itia lea o tomai ma agava’a o le aufaigaluega ma le aufaifa’atoaga e pei o a’oa’oga ma polokalame fefa’asoaa’i, aemaise ai o le fa’aogaina o mea faigaluega talafeagai mo le fa’afaigofieina o le fa’atinoina o atinae o fa’atoaga.
O le asō, ua tatou molimauina nei foai taua ma le aoga, o le a saga fa’amausali ai le aoga mo le atina’e o fa’atoaga a le mamalu o le aufaifa’atoaga, sosaiete, aemaise o pa’aga tumaoti. E talitonu o le a fesoasoaini tele nei meafaigaluega i le si’itia o fua o fa’atoaga ma atina’e, aemaise o le a tele avanoa mo le aufaifa’atoaga latou te agava’a ai i nei fa’amanuiaga.
Mo le aufaifa’atoaga ma pa’aga uma a le tatou Matagaluega i lenei taeao, o le tu’ualalo ma le fa’amalosiau mo lo outou mamalu, ia fa’aoga lelei nei foai ma tomai ua fa’asoaina mai e nei sui o le Malo o Saina. Ia tatou galulue fa’atasi mo se Samoa manuia ina ia mau le atunu’u i taumafa aua fanau lalovaoa.
O le a le fa’amatafauloaina se fa’amatalaga, e toe momoli atu le agaga fa’afetai tele lava i le aumalaga mai le Malo o Saina i lana Afioga i le ta’ita’i malaga, aemaise le amepasa o le Malo Saina o lo’o i’inei Samoa, fa’apea le aufaigaluega a le SCATAP, fa’atasi ai ma i latou uma sa tofu sao mo lenei taumafaiga. Ia tumau pea le galulue fa’atasi, ma ia fa’aauauina pea lenei faigapaaga i le va o Malo e lua aua le manuia o ona tagata.
Soifua ma ia manuia.
Ata Pueina – Malo o Samoa (Leaosa Faaifo Faaifo)
