Health concerns see vegetable sales suspended

AMERICAN SAMOA – The American Samoa Department of Agriculture has suspended until further notice the use of many locally grown vegetables in the School Lunch Programme due to health concerns.

Exceptions have been made for hydroponically grown vegetables, as well as local taro and green and ripe bananas – but the supply of all other vegetables have been stopped.

An agriculture official says routine farm inspections this month by their compliance officers uncovered numerous violations by local farmers.

The violations include the use of toxic and foreign pesticides, poor storage and sanitation facilities and the use of human waste as fertiliser.

Last year the department confiscated about 130 kilograms of locally-grown vegetables which breached regulations.

- RNZI