Bula
@Kavaway,
I did not mean to imply that Tongan kava farmers are less qualified than the farmers of other kava-growing nations. I apologise if it came across that way.
The fact of the matter is that the use of kava stems is not traditional. It is a new phenomenon that started a few decades ago with the commercialisation of kava. This happened in Fiji and Tonga, and continues to this day. Nobody likes to drink kava stems. The only reason it is done is because you can use it to bulk up the root and basal stem so you have more to sell and drink.
It has been scientifically proven that the parts of the kava plant exposed to the sun... the leaves and stem bark, contain compounds that damage the liver. Most islanders don't know about this, and some that do don't care. However, western kava consumers do care, and rightly so.
Feel free to use any part of the kava plant you want in Tonga, but please don't export any kava that contains stem peelings. There are alcoholics trying to use kava to get over their addiction. Some of these people have damaged livers. There is the potential for death when people with unhealthy livers drink kava with stem peelings in it.