Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
T A B L E 5.6. World Trade in Taro (metric tons)
Country
Exports
Imports
American Samoa
0
3,000
397
a
China
130,581
NR
b
Dominica
680
Fiji Islands
10,020
0
Ghana
5
NG
Japan
NR
51,320
Niue
190
NR
Saudi Arabia
NR
2
Samoa
457
NR
Tonga
4
NR
Trinidad and Tobago
1
655
United States
1,700
43,199
a
Includes Macao SAR.
b
NR ΒΌ not reported.
Source: FAOSTAT data (archives), 2005, http://faostat.fao.org/.
amount exported by China, and the United States exports less than one tenth the amount
exported by Fiji Islands. There are only six other countries reporting exports of taro. In
terms of imports Japan is the largest importer followed by the United States, both of
which import about the same quantities. American Samoa imports less than one
tenth the amounts imported by Japan and the United States.
5.8
OTHER COMMON ROOT CROPS
Arrowroot, yam-bean, and tannia are three root crops that are less well known but are
common in many tropical countries. Each has some characteristic that makes it specifi-
cally interesting and valuable as a root crop. Arrowroot has particularly fine carbo-
hydrate and is thus easy to digest, yam-bean is a nitrogen-fixing plant that alleviates
the need for nitrogen fertilization, and tannia is used by millions of subsistence
people around the world but is not well known because little produce gets to market.
5.8.1 Arrowroot
Arrowroot is like yam and sweet potato in that there are a number of different plants,
for example, Calathea allouia and Maranta arundinacea, which are called arrowroot.
Also, like potato, arrowroot comes in a number of different colors mostly red and white,
which are Maranta arundinacea varieties, and purple, which are Calathea allouia var-
ieties. In both cases plants produce tubers or tuberous roots that are high in starch.
The arrowroot starch is of high quality, is easily digested, and its amino acid
content is good except for a lack of the amino acid cystine (also Chapter 2). In addition
to being a source of starch in the diet, it is also described as an herb, a health food, a
herbal medicine, and its leaves used as clothing for infants.
