Watermelon growers in Tonga are furious over a shipment debacle that left tonnes of produce scheduled to be shipped to New Zealand  on the 5th of December.

According to growers affected trucking companies assigned to transport the melons to the wharf in Tongatapu did not show up at the growers farms.

Kafoika Leka Lautaimi is a young farmer in Tonga who says that all of the workers he employs are young high school dropouts and growing watermelons is part of helping to teach them a love for farming and give employment opportunities.  The collective is called the Mission Brother’s Young Farmers.  Kafoika is married with three children and joins us to explain what happened and how this latest debacle has affected their livelihoods.