Agriculture Department director Lealao M. Purcell, did not take lightly criticism by local farmers, who complained about DOA bringing agricultural produce from Samoa and Tonga for display at last week’s Farm Fair.

Lealao advised the critics (the local farmers) to stop complaining, stop putting out lies or wrong information and most of all just stop “muimui”. Furthermore, stop being jealous (loto leaga) of produce being farmed in Samoa and Tonga.

Lealao said farmers whose produce were imported for the Farm Fair didn’t even compete in the Farm Fair, but instead this produce— such as black cabbage and sweet pineapple — was brought to the Territory to show to local farmers what is being grown in Samoa and Tonga. (Full story is in the Samoan language version on the front page.)