| American Samoa Water Quality Projects |
| The American Samoa Interagency Piggery Management Council (ASIPMC) |
|
| Cultural Background |
 |
| Pigs are the central food item at most family and social gatherings and are an essential part of the Samoan culture and diet. The island’s piggeries predominantly produce pigs for consumption at these events. Pigs are either raised by family members as their contributions to the gathering or are raised for sale to families for an event. Currently, pig production does not contribute significantly to the day-to-day consumption of pork. |
| This is principally because of two factors (1) Production levels are not capable of meeting the demand for both ceremonial pigs and daily consumption. It is suspected that this is at least in part due to the high cost of production (2) the absence of a USDA approved slaughterhouse on the island makes it illegal to sell locally raised pork in local supermarkets. Pigs must be sold live and slaughtered by the consuming family. Additionally, it is believed that current pig production techniques would make the meat unsuitable for human consumption under USDA standards. |
|
