NEWSROOM: 01 March - 08 March 2008

Family group brings Samoa Past Back to the Present
08 March 2008 - Source: Isle Entertainment Inc. Press Release

Anaheim, CA March, 2008: The original Samoan sound is being brought back to life with Jerome Grey Trio’s first album entitled, “Remember Samoa.” Written, composed and performed by renowned Samoan artist, Jerome Grey and his sons, Tinifuloa and Taumata Grey, this album is scheduled to be released on March 14, 2008.

Inspired by the innocence of Samoan music that enlivened Samoan natives before the arrival of European instruments, the title, "Remember Samoa" was chosen to take audiences back to a time when music and lyrics were simple and beautiful. Each track is comprised with the sounds of the ukulele, guitar and sielo, otherwise known as upright bass, exuding a pure and tropical sound that is Jerome Grey Trio.

“This album aims to maintain the essence of traditional music, but we also wanted to add some contemporary sounds to make it more appealing to Samoa’s natives and our visitors.,” shares Jerome Grey. “Our music will be introduced to visitors in hopes that Samoa will be a place they will remember long after they’ve returned home, and will be re-introduced to all generations of Samoans in a way that’s never been done before. “

A FAMILY AFFAIR
The Grey’s possess a solid background in music and performance. Jerome began performing and songwriting at a young age in Apia, Samoa, and soon received a contract to perform in the United States of America. He went onto perform with the bands Samoa Three and AVA, which was one of the first pop bands to emerge from Samoa.

As a result, his sons, Tinifuloa and Taumata grew up with music in their lives. Tinifuloa recorded with an R&B singing group called REIGN, performed as an MC and Polynesian musician for Tihati Productions and now performs with Isle Entertainment (www.isleentertainment.com), a family group based in Southern California. Likewise, Taumata studied classical guitar at UC Irvine-California is currently working on an album with his Rock/R&B band, Natusol (www.natusol.net).

“I’ve been playing music by myself all my life, but it’s so fulfilling to finally join forces with my boys” Jerome says. “I feel like I’ve been preparing my boys for so long and now that the moment is here for us to release our CD together, I’m so happy.”

"Remember Samoa" was recorded by Kale Chang of SoulTree Studios in Honolulu, Hawaii, and a few tracks, which are available to listen to on their site, are already garnering buzz amongst the Samoan Community. The Jerome Grey Trio will be traveling to Samoa to release the album and perform ceremonies for Tinifuloa and Taumata to receive their matai, or chief titles in Savaii.

Jerome Grey Trio’s second album is scheduled to release this August and features all-new tracks. Updates on release dates and upcoming performances are available on their website, www.myspace.com/jeromegreytrio.

About the Jerome Grey Trio:
Fa'anana Jerome and his two sons, Tinifuloa and Taumata, are dedicated to perpetuating traditional and contemporary Samoan music. The Jerome Grey Trio aims to replicate the original sound of traditional Samoan music, as it was first introduced to the Samoans, using the ukulele, guitar and sielo, or stand-up bass. Their sound beckons listeners to return to a time when the percussive rhythms of the fala and pate were pervasive in Samoan music. For more information, please visit www.myspace.com/jeromegreytrio.

About Isle Entertainment, Inc.:
Isle Entertainment, Inc. has a mission to provide the highest quality of authentic Polynesian entertainment to our clients. We strive to touch and inspire others through the sharing of our songs and dances which have been passed down through the ages, celebrating our Polynesian culture and heritage. Through our family-owned company, we aim to cultivate a caring environment which exudes, embraces and perpetuates family values. For additional information, please visit www.isleentertainment.com.

Abbotsford Anglers Travel to Samoa
07 March 2008 - Source: Melbourne Cricket Centre Press Release

The Abbotsford Anglers Cricket Team from Melbourne Australia is in readiness for their upcoming place in the Prime Minister's Cup starting Good Friday.

A touring squad of 14 players and 16 support staff are in final preparations for the debut trip in Samoa.

The Prime Minister's Cup in its second year takes in teams from New Zealand and Australia as well as the Samoan National side.

Anglers spokesman Jason Evans said from Melbourne, "We are looking forward to seeing the wonderful people of Apia, and seeing how much the local boys have learned in the last year".

Mr. Evans came to Samoa last Easter with Brunswick Cricket Club. "I am keen to see how Pritchard Pritchard goes, I have followed his career from Melbourne" said Mr. Evans.

The Anglers arrive in Apia, Thursday 20th of March and the Prime Minster's Cup starts on Friday 21st.

Inaugural Lightning Cup final results
06 March 2008 - Source: Samoa International Cricket Association Press Release

After three rounds of the Lightning Cup the final was played on Saturday between an undefeated Sunshine and the Tornados. With rain delaying the start of play and no sun in sight, both teams weren’t sure if there was going to be a final played at all? As the players patiently waited, the captains went out and tossed the coin for a 2:30pm start. Sunshine won the toss and elected to bat.

The Tornados were eager to get the game started after the short holdup. They set out attacking in the field, and took a quick 3 wickets in the first four overs, shaking up the Sunshine batting line up. Alesana was the pick of the bunch for the Tornados, taking 4-33 off four overs. Past national representative Semifoa also bowled well, finishing with 3-21.

The damp conditions and loss of early wickets didn’t seem to bother Sunshine skipper Peni Oka who led his team with the bat. He smashed five 6’s in his innings and finished with 57 runs. His vice-captain, Konelio wasn’t planning on taking things easy either; he notched up a quick 17 runs including three 4’s which helped Sunshine set up a difficult run chase of 127 runs for the Tornados.

At the break Sunshine were quite confident coming into bowl, but the Tornados opening combination had other ideas. Captain Frank Griffin and Frank W set up a strong opening partnership of 30, each finishing with scores of 23 a piece. Unfortunately no other Tornado stood up and the team was all dismissed in the 19th over for 69 runs. First change bowler Osana shattered the Tornados attack, finishing with 4-13.

The inaugural Lightning Cup was won by Sunshine who proved too strong throughout the whole tournament. They were undefeated and will definitely be the team to look out for this season. The official senior men’s competition begins this week, Saturday 8th March and seven teams will participate.

A women’s Twenty20 competition is due to take place in a month’s time, and training will be held for females of all ages this Saturday 8th March from 10am – 11am at the Garden Cricket Ovals. For more details please call Tina Macumber on 25033 or email tinabob2@hotmail.com.

Senior Men’s 40 overs Competition – Round One, 1pm start
Sunshine V Phantoms / Tornados V Wanderers / Anglican Scouts V Hope Tige.

Pacific Nations cup to kick off with Fiji vs Samoa
05 March 2008 - Source: Rugby World Cup web.com

The IRB Pacific Nations Cup returns in June with the inclusion of a new team and heightened interest generated by the impressive performance of the Pacific Island Unions and Japan at Rugby World Cup 2007.

The New Zealand Maori will join Australia A, Fiji, Japan, Samoa and Tonga in the Tournament which features fifteen matches played in six countries over five weeks.

“The 2007 IRB Pacific Nations Cup, won by the Junior All Blacks, was the most competitive to date, generating high-quality Rugby and providing an expanded Test schedule for the Pacific Island Unions. It also captured the imagination of the Rugby community, with well-attended matches and strong broadcast coverage,” said IRB Chairman Bernard Lapasset.

“The IRB Pacific Nations Cup has grown in two years to become a key event on the global Rugby calendar and plays a significant development role for each of the participating Unions, as highlighted by the number of players who graduated through the Tournament to represent their country at the Rugby World Cup.

“Rugby World Cup 2007 was the most competitive RWC to date and the performances of Fiji, Japan, Samoa and Tonga significantly revealed that our investment in new Tournament structures, high performance and Union infrastructure programmes are already reaping rewards,“ said Lapasset.

The importance of the Tournament has been highlighted by Fiji head coach Ilie Tabua, who last year guided his team to the quarter-finals of a Rugby World Cup for the first time since the inaugural event in 1987.

“The Pacific Nations Cup provides a valuable platform for us to test our local players. As two-thirds of Fiji’s Rugby World Cup 2007 squad were based overseas, we began the 2007 Pacific Nations Cup with heavy reliance on the locally-based amateurs. This allowed us to see which were capable of stepping up a notch to reach Test Rugby, and some went on to excel themselves at the Rugby World Cup,” Tabua said.

“We need to set challenges for these young players and prime them for national duty. Come Rugby World Cup 2011, I expect a large percentage of the squad will have gone through the Pacific Nations Cup, which has given us an important schedule of regular Test matches,” added Tabua.

The 2008 Tournament will be the first to feature the famous New Zealand Maori, who replace two-time champions the Junior All Blacks as New Zealand’s representatives in the IRB Pacific Nations Cup. The move comes as a result of a thorough strategic review by the NZRU.

“The New Zealand Maori team has been tremendously successful in recent years, winning the Barclays Churchill Cup twice in the past three years and has an excellent reputation of developing young talent for the Test arena. The inclusion of New Zealand Maori will enhance the IRB Pacific Nations Cup’s highly competitive format as well as the unique cultural element of the tournament. I am sure that the 2008 Tournament will be the most competitive to date,” said Lapasset.

The Tournament kicks off with three mouth-watering fixtures as Fiji host Samoa in Lautoka and New Zealand Maori make their IRB Pacific Nations Cup debut against Tonga in Albany on Saturday, June 7. The following day 2007 runners-up Australia A are hosted by Japan in Fukuoka.

Other highlights will include the Rugby World Cup replays between Tonga and Samoa and Japan against Fiji. Samoa will be out to exact revenge after the Tongans defeated their close rivals for the first time in seven years during a memorable match in Montpellier. Likewise, the Japanese will be out to reverse the result of their thrilling encounter in Toulouse where they were defeated 35-31 by eventual quarter-finalists Fiji.

IRB Pacific Nations Cup 2008 Schedule:
Starts June 7 - July 6, 2008

Round 1:
Saturday June 7
Fiji v Samoa Churchill Park, Lautoka 1405
NZ Maori v Tonga North Harbour Stadium, Albany 1635
Sunday June 8
Japan v Australia A Hakata No Mori, Fukuoka 1405

Round 2:
Saturday June 14
Fiji v NZ Maori Post Fiji Stadium, Suva 1505
Samoa v Australia A Apia Park, Apia 1505
Sunday June 15
Japan v Tonga Sendai Yurtec Stadium, Sendai 1405

Round 3:
Saturday June 21
NZ Maori v Samoa Waikato Stadium, Hamilton 1635
Sunday June 22
Japan v Fiji National Olympic Stadium,Tokyo 1405
Australia A v Tonga North Sydney Oval, Sydney 1405

Round 4:
Saturday June 28
Tonga v Samoa Teufaiva Stadium, Nuku'alofa 1335
NZ Maori v Japan McLean Park, Napier 1435
Sunday June 29
Australia A v Fiji Ballymore, Brisbane 1405

Round 5:
Saturday July 5
Tonga v Fiji Teufaiva Stadium, Nuku'alofa 1505
Samoa v Japan Apia Park, Apia 1505
Sunday July 6
Australia A v NZ Maori Sydney Football Stadium TBC

Pacific will get share of EU agriculture fund
04 March 2008 - Source: Pacific Magazine

An international meeting in Apia, Samoa has heard that a new fund from the European Union (EU) to support agriculture development will be shared among the 76-member African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States.

The budget allocation is 45 million euros (US$68 million), of which 15 million euros (US$22.8 million) is for cotton production, an item that is not prominent in any Pacific Island. However, Samoa’s Ambassador to the EU, His Excellency Tuala Falani Chan Tung, said that the fact there were funds from the EU to start with was ‘very encouraging’.

Ambassador Tuala, who represents the Pacific on the ACP Committee of Ambassadors based in Brussels, Belgium, is visiting Apia for the meeting.

‘The financing agreement has been signed and there is now a need to come up with concrete proposals to use the funds,’ he said.

Ambassador Tuala referred to the separate negotiations for the Pacific Island Countries Trade Agreement (PICTA), where some Pacific states believed the initial funds from Australia and New Zealand were insufficient. However, those negotiations agreed to start with what was available and see if more funds would be needed later. In the same vein, Ambassador Tuala suggested that the ACP group make a start and move forward.

The meeting in Apia brings together a range of stakeholders from government, the private sector and development partners. They are consulting on the ACP All Agricultural Commodities Programme to help identify regional priority needs that could be addressed under the programme. SPC’s Land Resources Division, the Fiji-based agriculture and forestry technical service arm of SPC, is helping to raise awareness of the programme.

The consultations will also help to develop inputs for the workplans of five key partners: the Common Fund for Commodities, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the International Trade Centre, the World Bank and the UN Conference on Trade and Development.

Separate consultations will be held later with ACP members in Africa and the Caribbean.

Calls for tax relief for Pacific farmers
03 March 2008 - Source: Secretariat of the Pacific Community Press Release

The President of the Samoa Association of Manufacturers and Exporters, Papalii Grant Percival, has called for more tax relief for Pacific farmers, saying it would help to overcome some of the long-term problems faced by the industry.

‘Farming is an industry for people to get into, and it will grow as Pacific Islands need to ensure their food security,’ he said. ‘In the past five years, the Pacific has consumed more than it produces. Prices will continue to rise for the next 10 years, and even if there are no exports, improving our production is still necessary for our food security.’

Currently, unprocessed farm produce such as that sold by village farmers at local markets is largely tax free in the region. However, efforts to develop value-added agriculture products for export, or as import substitutes, are hampered by a number of challenges.

These include high transport costs in the Pacific, distance from major markets, a limited range of products, changing standards and regulations, unstable prices and changing international markets. Lack of access to capital, newer technology and incentives also makes it difficult for farmers to take advantage of market opportunities.

Domestic markets could be supported by offering tax incentives to roadside farmers and removing tariffs on bulk products, packaging and raw materials, among other initiatives, Papalii said. Pacific farmers also need to be consulted when governments seek assistance from donors to support the agricultural sector and trade development.

Papalii was addressing an international meeting in Apia, Samoa, aimed at discussing the use of a European Union fund of 45 million euros for the All ACP Agricultural Commodities Programme. SPC’s Land Resources Division, the Fiji-based agriculture and forestry technical service arm of SPC, is helping to raise awareness of the programme.

Samoa exporter cut the price it will pay for nonu juice
02 March 2008 - Source: Radio New Zealand International

Samoa’s biggest exporter of nonu juice, has dropped the buying price for nonu.

Nonu Samoa Enterprises is now offering 40 sene a kilo for nonu, down from 50 sene a kilo.

The company’s Managing Director Garry Vui said the overseas demand for nonu from Samoa has dropped because of competition from Asian producers in Malaysia and the Phillipines.

He says nonu exports peaked in 2005 when four companies sent out an average of 100,000 litres per month.

Now monthly exports of nonu juice have dropped to 32,000 litres.

Vui explained that Malaysian and Philippine producers are selling their nonu much more cheaply than Samoa and were flooding the overseas markets.

The decline of the US dollar has also had an impact on the profitability of nonu production.

Vui says his company sells nonu in US currency which has dropped dramatically from what it was in 2005.

Another factor is the rising cost of shipping due to fuel prices.

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