Samoa Agriculture Competitiveness Enhancement Project (SACEP) – Technical Assistance to Support Implementation

Samoa Agriculture Competitiveness Enhancement Project (SACEP) supported fruit and vegetable famers and livestock producers to improve productivity and take greater advantage of market opportunities. The investment project was designed for a 5-year implementation period, and this 2-year technical assistance supported the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries in the project implementation. SACEP targeted subsistence farmers with the goal of transitioning them, via a matching grant investment scheme, technical support, and improved advisory services, towards semi-commercial and commercial farming. This was to be achieved through targeted measures in improving coordination between the private sector and the government, strengthening the private sector. Introducing new high-value fruit and vegetable varieties which are climate resilient and a superior livestock breeding stock, enabling farmers to introduce new irrigation and soil management technologies and practices, and strengthening the extensionists’ and farmers’ knowledge in farm productivity and management.

Competitiveness was enhanced through facilitating improved value chain integration and enhancing farmers’ access to markets, linking farmers with the tourism sector, encouraging the adoption of improved agricultural husbandry practices and technology; improving meat quality and safety through improved hygienic slaughter services; and targeting investments to improve farm and livestock productivity and marketing.

This technical assistance was pivotal in planning and managing the investment project, in providing technical expertise in all required areas, in facilitating successful import of new varieties and breeding stock, and in improving capacity of the extension staff through training and development of extension manuals for their future use.