Ava plays a significant role in ceremonies and social way of life or fa’asamoa. The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Labor officially launched Samoa’s first ever “Ava Standards” this week on Friday the 25th of May 2018.
The aim of the Ava Standard is to ensure that Samoan Ava is produced and stored accordingly to good hygiene standards while maintaining its quality, so that it is safe for consumption and is internationally recognized as a quality product.
This standard was initiated by Samoa Association of Manufacturers and Exporters (SAME) and put together by the Samoa National Codex Committee to assist Ava producers and suppliers in Samoa to produce high quality Ava production for the benefits of customers.
The standard was developed through a consultative process with Samoa National Codex Committee and stakeholders in both Upolu and Savaii. It was developed to align the quality standards and activities to support the implementation and enforcement of these standards amongst Ava growers in the Pacific.
It is indeed a major milestone in view of the recent events that led to the banning of Ava exports from Samoa and the Pacific. The Minister in his keynote address encouraged producers, farmers and exporters to ensure compliance with the Act to increase exports of Ava to overseas markets and eventually leading to a positive impact on Samoa’s economy.
The Ministry also commends the tremendous support provided by the Australia and New Zealand- funded Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access Program (PHAMA).
