Enhanced fruit systems for Tonga and Samoa-Phase 2

Community based citrus production in Tonga and Samoa

Jan 2022 -  Jun 2025

The enhanced fruit systems for Tonga and Samoa - Phase 2 (HORT/2019/165) project is funded by ACIAR and led by the University of the Sunshine Coast. Key partners include MORDI (Tonga), SROS (Samoa), and Nishi Trading.

The project aims to increase domestic citrus production in Tonga and Samoa in support of pro-health outcomes and wider community development impacts. It builds on the work of a previous ACIAR project, HORT/2014/077, that worked with private sector and local NGOs to establish five commercial-scale citrus orchards in Tonga, importing +400 grafted citrus trees in 2016/2017 and commercial citrus rootstock and sourced local citrus genetics in preparation for scale-out in 2019. In early 2020, the Tongan Government self-funded the further importation of +1500 grafted citrus trees, with local and National government agencies strongly endorsing HORT/2014/077 achievements.

This project seeks to translate this prior ACIAR investment in Tonga into sustainable and resilient citrus value chains, that support pro-health outcomes and creates new business enterprise opportunities for women and rural communities. In Samoa, the project undertakes a series of targeted interventions to unlock local citrus industry profitability and expand domestic fruit availability (with similar pro-health and gender benefits).