Pacific Community 108d ago

In the 1990s, taro leaf blight devastated Samoa’s taro crops and raised alarm across the Pacific. For Fiji, where taro is vital for livelihoods and food security, it highlighted the urgent need for a resilient variety. Today, Tarova Damu is helping farmers respond. Developed through collaboration between scientists at the Pacific Community's (SPC) Centre for Pacific Crops and Trees (CePaCT) and researchers at Fiji’s Koronivia Research Station, the variety is tolerant to taro leaf blight, matures in just six to seven months and produces high yields suited for local and export markets. For farmer Soon Wei Yuen in Makoi, the impact has been significant. Starting with 500 suckers in 2021, he now grows more than 100,000 plants. Tarova Damu shows how regional collaboration and science can strengthen Pacific agriculture and protect farmers’ futures.