| Overview : Tonga has an agriculture-based economy organized around semi-subsistence small-holdings. Production focuses on a range of customary root crops such as yams, taro, sweet potato and more recently, cassava. Commercial production has focused on squash pumpkin over the last decade. Considerable effort has been made to diversify into higher-value export crops notably vanilla and watermelon but these have been challenging ventures due to problems of quality control, disease and major fluctuations in the international market.
Much work is needed in the sector. Management plans for all subsectors have been prepared at various times over the last decade, but are of varying quality and most are in need of review and/or updating. As part of Tonga’s national planning process, the need for Agriculture Sector Plans has been identified. The Sector Plans would identify the vision and priorities for maximising the contribution of agriculture and fisheries to Tonga’s economic growth and food security. The Plans would also articulate specific programs and activities needed to achieve sector priorities; clarify roles and responsibilities of the different actors in the sector; assess investment needs and provide framework for measuring progress in the short and medium terms. |
