ABSTRACT
The idea has been introduced that smallholder cattle farming in Samoa may be a success after all. The growth interest in cattle by Samoans was slow and cattle have often been invisible in records of Samoan agricultural and household. The Beef Cattle Pilot Project was the first large cattle project in Western Samoa, and established the foundation on which other projects were based. The Department of Agriculture, Forests and Fisheries (DAFF) Village Cattle Distribution Scheme was administered by the DAFF Livestock Section at Avele. Access to cattle was on a first-come-first-served basis. Eligibility requirements, outlined previously, were minimal. Although impossible to measure, it appears that the rise in cattle numbers closely correlates with the incorporation of cattle into Samoan cultural practices and livelihoods. Cattle projects in Samoa have taken a fluctuating path to reach an equilibrium and, in parallel with this, a learning process has occurred. This has also been a fair test of culture as an obstacle or constraint to development.
