Tonga’s export crops at risk after eruption
A vanilla importer, Heilala Vanilla, says its crops in Tonga survived the tsunami, but volcanic ash could destroy the plantation.
Vanilla is one of the island nation’s biggest exports.
‘‘The uncertainty is very tough,’’ Heilala Vanilla chief executive Jennifer Boggiss said.
Boggiss said the company’s vanilla crops were above sea level so were unscathed when the tsunami hit after a massive volcanic eruption on Saturday.
‘‘The one concern we have is the impact of ash rainfall on plants,’’ she said. ‘‘If ash stays on plants for long enough, it will impact the plant, and obviously that’s not just vanilla but all crops, so it’ll impact other export crops from Tonga like yams and squash.’’
The eruption sent a thick blanket of ash into the sky, contaminating water supplies and cutting off communication. Volcanic ash is a mixture of rock, mineral and glass particles, and can cause eye nose, and lung irritation, as well as breathing problems.
Tonga has a small export economy based around exports of vanilla, fish and agricultural products, as well as tourism.
The country’s main trading parters were New Zealand, the United States, Hong Kong, Japan and Australia.
Squash, coconuts, bananas and vanilla beans were the primary crops, and agricultural exports made up two-thirds of total exports.
Tonga exported $2.01 million of produce to New Zealand in 2019. Imports from New Zealand totalled $47.6m, including sawn wood, dairy products and travel services.
The Vanilla harvesting season runs from May until September, then the vanilla is dried and exported to New Zealand in October. But with no means of communication with its Tongan staff, Boggiss said it was a waiting game.
‘‘The one concern we have is the impact of ash rainfall on plants.’’
Jennifer Boggiss
Heilala Vanilla chief executive