Nu’u, Samoa – The Samoa Agriculture Mechanisation Project was officially launched on Monday, 23 June 2025, at the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF) Crops Division compound in Nu’u. Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mataafa officiated the handover of machinery provided under the partnership between Samoa and the People’s Republic of China.
The project is valued at approximately $5 million tala and includes five excavators, six tractors with full implements, five small hydraulic dump trucks (six-wheelers), five large hydraulic dump trucks (ten-wheelers), and a range of tools and equipment for a dedicated mechanical workshop. The fleet has now been formally entrusted to the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, which will oversee its deployment to support land preparation services and expand the Ministry’s extension capacity.
Speaking at the launch, Prime Minister Fiame described the project as another step forward in the long-standing development cooperation between Samoa and China. She acknowledged the Government of China for the substantial contribution and confirmed that the Government of Samoa will fund the construction of a mechanical workshop to support the long-term maintenance and management of the equipment.
The project also includes the deployment of six experienced mechanical experts from China who will be based in Samoa for three months. Their role is to provide technical training and support to ensure the safe and sustainable operation of the new machinery by local staff.
Fiame said that agriculture and fisheries continue to form the backbone of Samoa’s economy, with more than 97 percent of households depending on the sector either directly or indirectly. She noted that the project responds to a long-standing need for improved access to modern equipment for tasks such as land clearance and cultivation, particularly in areas with rugged terrain and limited infrastructure.
According to the Prime Minister, the initiative fits within the broader goals of Samoa’s national development strategy. These include building climate resilience, improving food security, reducing rural hardship, and promoting local production to reduce reliance on imports. She emphasised that revitalising agriculture is not only an economic objective but also a matter of self-reliance and national wellbeing.
Fiame expressed gratitude to Ambassador Fei Mingxing and the Chinese Embassy in Samoa for facilitating the project, and acknowledged the contributions of MAF staff, the Ministry of Finance, technical experts, and all stakeholders involved.
The launch was attended by Members of Cabinet, Chinese technical personnel, and representatives from the Samoa–China Agriculture Technical Aid Project. The machinery and the training support are expected to transform farming practices across the country and help bring more idle lands into productive use.
The official launching and handover of the China–Samoa Agriculture Mechanisation Project was delivered by Honourable Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mataafa at the MAF Crops Division compound in Nu’u on Monday, 23 June 2025.
SAUNOAGA AUTU
Afioga Palemia Fiame Naomi Mataafa
“Poloketi mo le Fa’aogaina o Masini mo le una’ia o atina’e fa’atoaga i Samoa”
Lotoa Matagaluega Fa’atoaga, Nu’u
Susuga Ta’ita’i o le Sauniga, Rev. Roseti Imo
Afioga Fei Mingxing – Amapasa o le Malo o Saina i Samoa
Sui mamalu – Minisita Tausi Kapeneta
Malo Fa’aaloalogia ma le Mamalu o le Auvala’aulia
Talofa lava! Malo le soifua manuia i lenei taeao fou.
O se fiafiaga tele ma le agaga fa‘afetai ou te tula’i ai ma le fa’aaloalo, e fai ai ma sui o le tatou Malo, ma le Kapeneta, e tatala aloa’ia lenei Poloketi “Fa’aogaina o Masini mo le una’ia o le atina’eina o fa’atoaga i Samoa”. O lenei fa’amoemoe e afua mai i le faigapa’aga fa’aauau a le Malo o Samoa ma le Malo o Saina, e tauala mai lea i le Matagaluega o Fa’ato’aga ma Faigafaiva. Ua mafai ai ona tuuina mai le fesoasoani e pei ona iai masini, o loli, ma mea faigaluega, ua outou silasila atu iai. O lenei fesoasoani e tusa lona tauaofa’i ma le 12 milliona RMB/Tupe Saina, e tusa lea ma le SAT $5 milliona tala Samoa. O lenei fesoasoani e aofia ai:
- 5 masini uapato/escavator
- 6 Palau ma ona meafaigaluega – Tractor with equipment
- 5 loli pa’u ono/ Small Type Hydraulic Dump Truck
- 5 loli pa’u sefulu/ Hydraulic Dump Truck
- Atoa ai ma meafaigaluega moomia i le faleinisinia mo le tausia ma le faaleleia o nei masini.
O nei masini o le a fa’amatuuina atu i le Matagaluega o Fa’ato’aga ma Faigafaiva mo polokalame fa’agasolo a le Matagaluega, e galulue faatasi ai ma le au fai lafumanu ma le au fai fa’atoaga. O lo o fa’agasolo foi fuafuaga a le Matagaluega mo le fa’atuina o se fale inisinia fou (mechanical workshop facility), o lo o fa’atupeina e le tatou Malo, e teu maluina ai nei masini, aemaise o galuega fa’aleleia moomia mo le saogalemu ma le umi ona lelei o nei masini mo le fa’aogaina, e tusa ai ma le maliliega ua mae’a sainia i le va o Malo e lua, i lalo o lenei poloketi taua.
Ua mafai foi ona fesoasoani mai le Malo o Saina e tauala lea i le fa’amatu’uina mai o a latou inisinia fa’apitoa (mechanical experts) e to’a 6, e malaga mai Saina mo le tolu masina, e fa’atino ai a’oa’oga a le aufaigaluega a le matagaluega o le a gafataulimaina le fa’aogaina o nei masini.
E le toe taufaailoina le taua o le sao o fa’ato’aga i le tamaoaiga o si tatou Atunu’u. O fa’ato’aga ma Faigafaiva o le poututoa lea, e fa’amoemoe iai le atina’e o so’o se atunu’u. O le 97% o aiga i Samoa, e fa’alagolago i fa’atoaga ma le gataifale mo le soifua manuia i aso uma.
O le aumai ai o lenei fesoasoani o masini mai Saina i lalo lenei poloketi, o se silasila mamao lea a le tatou Malo e ala i le Matagaluega, ina ia toe gagau le vao ma atina’e o tatou laufanua mo le lumana’i manuia. O tatou eleele o lo o iai le faamanuiaga mo atina’e o fa’atoaga. Peita’i ane ua fa’afaigata mo i tatou lona galueaina ona o le gaoa ma le tele o le ma’a.
O nei masini o le a fesoasoani tele lea i le tapenaina o fanua mo fa’atoaga, ma le aveeseina o ma’a i se tulaga lelei ma talafeagai mo le fa’afaigofieina o tatou atina’e tau-fa’ato’aga. O lenei faiga, o le a lelei ma maualuga le faaogaina o laufanua ua lava tapenaina i se taimi umi. E le gata i lea o fanua sa le mafai ona faaogaina muamua, o le a mafai ona totoina ma atina’eina pe a mae’a ona aveese ma’a ma tapenaina lelei mo fa’ato’aga. O le fa’amoemoe, ia fa’afaigofie ma fesoasoani i le aufaifa’ato’aga i le fa’alauteleina o laufanua galueaina mo atina’e fa’atoaga, ma atina’e lafumanu.
O lenei Poloketi o lo’o o gatasi lava ma manulauti o fuafuaga alualu mamao a le tatou Malo:
- Ia fa‘atupulaia se tamaoaiga gafataulimaina
- Ia fa’ateleina taumafa mo le soifua maloloina lelei
- Ia si’itia atina’e tau-fa’atoaga mo le soifua manuia
- Ia fa’aitiitia le fa’alagolago i oloa auina mai fafo
- Ia fa’aitiitia a’afiaga ona o suiga ma’aleale o le tau
- Aemaise o le si’itia o le soifuaga manuia i aiga, nu’u, ekalesia ma le Atunu’u
I lenei itula, ou te toe momoli atu le fa‘afetai tele i le Malo o Saina, mo le fa’atupeina o lenei feasoasoani taua, ua mafai ai ona fa’ataunu’uina lenei Poloketi, aua le una’ia o le atina’e tau-fa’ato’aga i Samoa.
E momoli le fa‘afetai tele ma le fa‘amalo i le mamalu o le aufaifa’ato’aga, o pa’aga o le tatou Matagaluega, aemaise o Matagaluega a le Malo ma i latou uma sa tofu sao, ua ausia ai lenei taunu’uga taua.
Ia faamanuia mai le Atua, ia avea lenei poloketi ma nei mealofa taua, ia fa’apena ona fesoasoani tele le una’ia o atina’e tau-fa’ato’aga i Samoa, mo se soifua manuia o tagata nu’u o Samoa.
Fa’amanuia le Atua i lenei fa’amoemoe.
Soifua ma ia manuia.
