Editing Samoa (section)

===Agriculture===
In the period before German colonisation (from the late 19th century), Samoa produced mostly copra. German merchants and settlers were active in introducing large-scale [[plantation]] operations and in developing new industries, notably cocoa beans and rubber, relying on imported labourers from [[China]] and [[Melanesia]]. When the value of [[natural rubber]] fell drastically, about the end of the Great War ([[World War I]]) in 1918, the New Zealand government encouraged the production of bananas, for which there is a large market in [[New Zealand]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.fao.org/fishery/facp/WSM/en |title=FAO Fisheries & Aquaculture - Country Profile |access-date=14 November 2021 |archive-date=14 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211114063621/https://www.fao.org/fishery/facp/WSM/en |url-status=live }}</ref>

Because of variations in altitude, Samoa can cultivate a large range of tropical and subtropical crops. Land is not generally available to outside interests. Of the total land area of {{cvt|2,934|km2|acre|}}, about 24.4% is in permanent crops and another 21.2% is arable. About 4.4% is Western Samoan Trust Estates Corporation (WSTEC).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.samoaland.gov.ws/about-us/ |title=About Us |website=samoaland.gov.ws |access-date=9 December 2021 |archive-date=14 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211114075238/https://www.samoaland.gov.ws/about-us/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The staple products of Samoa are copra (dried coconut meat), [[cocoa bean]]s (for chocolate), rubber, and bananas.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Twining-Ward |first1=Louise |last2=Butler |first2=Richard |date=2002 |title=Implementing STD on a small island: Development and use of sustainable tourism development indicators in Samoa |journal=Journal of Sustainable Tourism |volume=10 |issue=5 |pages=363–387 |doi=10.1080/09669580208667174 |bibcode=2002JSusT..10..363T |s2cid=154442062}}</ref> The annual production of both bananas and copra has been{{when|date=May 2021}} in the range of {{convert|13,000-15,000|tonne}}. If the [[Oryctes rhinoceros|coconut rhinoceros beetle]] in Samoa were eradicated, Samoa could produce in excess of {{convert|40,000|tonne}} of copra. Samoan cocoa beans are of very high quality and are used in fine New Zealand chocolates. Most are [[Criollo (cocoa bean)|Criollo]]-Forastero hybrids. Coffee grows well, but production has been uneven. WESTEC is the biggest coffee producer.

Other agricultural industries have proven less successful. [[Sugarcane]] production was originally established by Germans in the early 20th century. Old train tracks for transporting cane can be seen at some plantations east of [[Apia]]. [[Pineapple]]s grow well in Samoa, but have not moved beyond local consumption to become a major export.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://pacificfarmers.com/pineapples-in-paradise/ |title=Pineapples in Paradise |website=pacificfarmers.com |date=6 February 2019 |access-date=9 December 2021 |archive-date=21 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210421012216/https://pacificfarmers.com/pineapples-in-paradise/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://asiapacificfarmersforum.net/samoa-pifon-pineapples-in-paradise/ |title=Samoa: Pineapples in Paradise |website=asiapacificfarmersforum.net |date=12 October 2018 |access-date=9 December 2021 |archive-date=14 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211114060730/https://asiapacificfarmersforum.net/samoa-pifon-pineapples-in-paradise/ |url-status=live }}</ref>