Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
One other significant difference between sweet potatoes and potatoes is that there
are no countries that export more than they import nor import more than they export of
sweet potatoes, but Belgium imports more potatoes than it exports (Table 5.2) and the
reverse is true of Germany (Table 5.3).
As seen in Figures 5.14 and 5.15, there is a similarity in the countries producing yams
and sweet potatoes. But there are fewer countries exporting and importing yams.
However, because of the confusion in naming (between sweet potato and yam), it is
hard to obtain good data on yam trade. The same thing holds true for boniato and so
no data for this crop is presented here.
The question then becomes how might these differences in import and export come
about? And why might a country both export and import the same food item?
In some cases a single country might record both exports and imports of the same
crop for many reasons. Two of these would be geographic location and variety differ-
ences. Some areas of a country may be closer to larger markets or markets offering
higher prices to producers in neighboring countries than in the producing country. Or
it may just be simply a closer market. In other cases one variety may be favored in
one country and another in another country and so are traded across borders. Potatoes
come in various sizes and colored skins. One country, country A, may prefer small
white potatoes over red-skinned potatoes. In this case country B may produce red pota-
toes and ship them to country A while importing white potatoes from this same country.
5.6
CASSAVA: MODIFIED ROOTS
Cassava, shown in Figure 5.16, is different from most other root crops in that the
harvested portion is not a specialized root extension but is a swollen part of the root
itself (Figs. 5.17 and 5.18). It is not a vine. It grows as a woody brushlike plant. All
Figure 5.16. Cassava plants growing in a field. (Courtesy of the Philippines Root Crop Research
and Training Center.)
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