The Intercropping of Smallholder Coconuts in Western Samoa: an analysis using multi-stage linear programming

Abstract

The village agricultural sector of Western Samoa holds a key position in the country's economy, commanding the majority of the productive resources and providing a large proportion of export earnings. Present trends however show declining export earnings and an exodus of younger males from village agriculture into wage employment in Apia and through migration to New Zealand. Trends are seen to reflect declining returns per manday in traditional production systems. A modern systematic intercropping system is investigated as to its technical and economic feasibility as a means of providing rural family cash income requirements in competition with alternative sources.