A Potential Dried Fruit Market in Independent Samoa

ABSTRACT

Value-added agriculture products are often advertised as lucrative options for developing countries. Furthermore, in many developing countries there is a seasonal surplus of food and this surplus can provide the raw materials for a value-added industry. This situation is particularly true for Independent Samoa and other islands in the South Pacific. Here we show that sulfur dioxide and glycerine treated dried papaya has the potential to be a lucrative value-added agriculture product in the local Samoan market. These results suggest that under appropriate production conditions, the surplus of papaya could increase farmer revenue through providing a market for surplus produce. This type of product may be appropriate for other developing countries as well.

KEYWORDS:

• Agriculture
• development
• fruit
• produce
• Samoa
• value-added