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3rd Taro Symposium Paper
This is the Submission to
the 3rd Taro Symposium held in Fiji 2003. Having endured the self punishment
of reading the whole of the Symposium Papers, it quickly came to mind that the
majority of it was either innuendoes, scientific mumbo jumbo, with an
odd splattering of valuable material. There were some top submissions,
however, which we'll reproduce somewheres later.... ...this one of
Peters stands ...way out, above the rest, in it's ability to reach to
all levels... from grower to academic... and that transpires an underlying
message of encompassment of the industry!!
Following this is
Philippe's Report of Attendance, his observations and comments as a growers
and participant representing TGA...
TARO PRODUCTION IN AUSTRALIA
Theme 3: Paper 3.5
Taro Grower, Queensland, Australia
By Peter Salleras
“What’s the best way to cook taro?”
is usually the first question people ask when they find out I’m a grower.
Whilst my answers are often clumsy, (I’m far from a chef), the question
indicates both an interest and obstacle for taro consumption by
non-traditional users in Australia. Our consumers have access to
taro-imported form Fiji plus as estimated 1500 tonnes of local product.
Most
Australian taro production occurs in the warmer east coast regions, and in
particular between Tully and Babinda in Far North Queensland. This area is
recognised as the “Super Wet Belt” of Queenslands wet tropics region and is
blessed with mild winters and good rainfall, usually averaging over 4
metres/annum. Growers have access to very efficient communication and
transport systems. Refrigerated “Banana” trucks deliver fresh picked taro to
southern city markets 3000-4000 kilometres away within 2 days.
Our major
production limitation is labour costs. Even at $15.00/hour it’s hard to find
people willing to endure hot, hard work sometimes worsened by the itch of taro
sap. I predict the high labour cost of “Large Corm” taro production will
diminish in the near future. Australian taro growers have no traditional
methods to restrict an already innovative mindset, so rapid technological
advancements are inevitable.
Although
improved cultural practices will see larger individual producers emerge, the
majority of growers currently work plots of 0.5 to 2 hectares. Our industry
has seen a high turnover of growers with many finding it ‘just too hard.’
Obstacles
growers face other than high labour inputs, include weed control, relatively
old/poor soils, erratic rainfall, insect and vertebrae pests. Our climate
dictates that all commercial taro production is irrigated.
Our main
insect pests are Hawkmoth, Heliothis and Cluster caterpillars mostly
controlled with B.T. (Baccilus Thuringiensis). Rats can inflict major damage
in taro blocks, particularly where weed control is inadequate. Poison baits
are the main control method, although secondary poisoning of rat predators is
of concern. Feral pigs can do plenty of damage when they get a taste for
taro. Trapping, shooting and electric fencing effectively minimises damage.
With
production advancements come the threat of market gluts and poor prices –
every farmers’ nightmare. I firmly believe demand for taro will outstrip
supply for many decades on a global scale.
Taro is
currently as unknown to ‘western’ cuisine as potatoes and tomatoes were when
Columbus first returned to Europe from the Americans’ in 1493. Historians
believe acceptance of potatoes and tomatoes took considerable time not only
because they were alien tastes but also because they were members of the
poisonous ‘nightshade’ family.
Although
taro is one of the oldest known cultivated plants, its’ consumption has never
been spread far outside the tropical regions of the world. Times change -
with increasing speed though.
Affluent
consumers are increasingly demanding, and willing to pay for, new tastes and
safe, healthy and ethically produced food.
Taro is king
on many fronts. It grows best under more ‘natural’ production methods. It is
a physically bold and upstanding plant with leaves uniquely able to shed water
almost contemptuously yet nurse droplets like silver jewels.
The regal
status of taro does not end with its’ physical attributes though. In the food
value stakes taro makes most other starchy vegetables and grains look like
nutritional paupers.
Taro is
being replaced in traditional consumption areas by easier, cheaper more
‘Western’ (trendy) foods. But really we must wonder, with the rugby world cup
the biggest sporting event on the planet in 2003, would mothers of players
like Lote Tuqiri and Jonah Lomu have been able to raise their boys to such a
level in the international sporting arena , on white rice and fast noodles?
Oysters and
durian may have aphrodisiac powers but taro is unchallenged for the ‘natural
steroid’ reputation.
Not everyone
wants to be a world class athlete, however there are dramatically increasing
numbers of people suffering digestion problems, diabetes and hypoglycemia to
name a few, who would benefit for the nutrition, low glycemic index (GI) and
easy digestibility of taro.
How do we
get more people to eat taro?
Years ago, I
remember, seemingly every second vehicle in western Queensland was adorned
with a sticker which read “YOU’RE IN CATTLE COUNTRY - EAT BEEF YOU
BASTARDS!” A sticker costing a few cents on mans’ prized mobile
investment can ‘remind’ people for many years.
‘TARO -
PEOPLE POWER ON A PLATE!’ – or something.
Maybe the
Taro Symposium network is the perfect structure to initiate such simple and
cost effective crop/food awareness trends on a global scale.
Even in
Australia we only need minor changes in eating trends to have substantial
impacts on primary production directions. Australians currently eat about 60
kg of ‘English’ potatoes per head/year and I would assume the figure for
grains is considerably higher. If we consider that every 1 Kg / head swing to
taro equates to 20,000 tonnes, the growth potential, in Australia alone,
becomes obvious.
Back to
“What’s the best way to cook taro?” Taro has properties which allow it to
be a culinary performer everywhere from ice-cream to a roast.
We recently tried a pepperoni and
olive pizza with a base made from boiled/mashed taro with herbs and an
egg. BEAUTIFUL! – POWA PIZZA!
Whilst
today’s food scientists are increasingly allowing foods to fit lifestyles, the
celebrity chefs are the real heroes of the fresh produce industry.
English chef
Jamie Oliver has been a major hit on Australian television with his show “The
Naked Chef”.
Neil Perry,
Australia’s top chef/restaurateur has “Food Source” and “Fresh and Fast”
airing on the Lifestyle channel in Australia as well as the UK and else
where. Neil and his crew ‘shot’ a segment on taro on our farm, which will be
aired in 2004.
The top
chefs and restaurants certainly set trends, and taro is also beginning to
appear on the menus of upmarket establishments in Queenslands’ main tourist
areas.
The many
forms of taro offer us infinite tastes, textures, consistencies and growing
requirements to work with. There are many talented people associated with the
crop ‘from the paddock to the plate.’ The taro industry is bound to ‘fly’.
How far depends on us – its’ time to spread our wings!
(NOTE: We'll just
add here, that Peter Salleras was one of the few, self funded attendees of the
Symposium. What we're out to impress, unknown to Peters behalf, is
this as evidence, of the extent, of his personal interest, like many others, to the wellbeing of
the Taro industry)
3rd Taro Symposium Report of
Attendance
From our previous
observation of the Symposium transcripts, it does seem, a lot of this foreign
aid hocus pocus, rides over the heads of the growers, and appears more as a
convenient cash cow for those with multiple letters after their names, being
some sort of career soak, at the expense of Pacific taro growers....
Philippe summed it all
up, in a indirect conversation, of which he says "There was a lot
of scientific talk, all about this, and that of the taro beetle... so I
(Philippe) asked: " I'm a taro grower, what do I do about the taro
beetle?" the answer from the podium was "What.???"
Philippe also relates
concerns of Taro Leaf Blight and means of preventing this imminent threat to
Australia. As you'll read in this literature of his , this is common
knowledge, that no doubt has been placed in the hands of AQIS and BA years
ago. It only stands to reason, these wheezebag sleazebags are fully aware of
what they are doing... Are we going to met genocide with genocide.....????
There's been no evidence of hope, goodwill or integrity on their part.....all
that's left to give, is what they already have ..... nothing!!!
..... boneheads !!!
...bah...
Report
of attendance
by
Philippe Petiniaud
The
Third Taro Symposium with the participation of West Africa, India, the
Caribbean Islands and of course most of the Asia Pacific Nations became a real
forum for the producers and consumers of taro worldwide.
One
major producer China was absents because of the SARS problem and one major
Consumer Japan was absent.
The
themes of the third taro symposium were:
-
Taro Diversity, Ethnobotany and Conservation
-
Pests and Diseases
-
Production Constraints
-
Breeding and Distribution of Improved Materials
-
New Products and Product Development
-
Quality Standards and Marketing
Taro Diversity, Ethnobotany and Conservation
From the opening speech made by Grahame Jackson and through a majority of
papers presented, the Taro Leaf Blight (TLB) made its presence felt.
It
was quite obvious that the Taro Growing Nations of the Asia Pacific Region,
had not yet recovered from the trauma caused by the outbreak of TLB which
nearly wiped-out the taro cultivation in Western Samoa, in 1993.
Taro is not only the staple food of Samoans but it has also a great cultural
importance for the population of Samoa and the Pacific.
The
anguish of the TLB outbreak is still felt very strongly in Samoa and I think
influenced the choice of the papers.
There was a great emphasise on Security and the need to conserve Germplasm
collections in order to keep safely, crucial varieties in the case of a new
outbreak. The aim is to find or to breed from these collections resistant
varieties and also varieties with higher yield and shorter growing period.
The
TBL is already in Papua New Guinea, but due to different climatic conditions
it has not wiped-out the crop like it did in Samoa although it cause extensive
damage when the conditions are right for its development ie. wet weather and
cool nights at a temperature of 20 to 22 degrees Celsius, which are the
condition in winter in the wet tropic area of Australia where most of the
large corm taro is grown.
As
a result of this situation we should have a contingency plan ready to deal
with that threat and we should inventory the existing varieties of taro
already existing in Australia, identify them and constitute a Germplasm
collection. There are in Palau Islands and in the Philippines varieties of
taro resistant to the TLB.
The
Samoans and Hawaiians have already used these varieties, as a base to develop
new varieties of taro. It would be a good idea to bring these varieties into
Australia and start similar work.
We
were please to found out that Australia was very well represented among the
Researchers and Scientists attending the Symposium. Some Australians are
working for various Agriculture Department and University of the Pacific. Some
others are working for Australian Universities conducting research for Pacific
states or Institutions. Namely, University of Queensland, Queensland
University of Technology and Central Queensland University.
During the Symposium contacts have been made with the people mentioned to
facilitate further research if necessary.
Pests and Diseases
The
two most destructive diseases are the Taro Leaf Blight (Phytophthora
colocasiae) and a virus called Colocasia Bobone Disease Virus (CBDV) both of
them are already in Papua New Guinea.
The
worst pest is the Taro Beetle (Papuana woodlarkiana) it is also present in
PNG. This taro beetle is one of the main constraints to the yield and quality
of taro production in PNG. It is quite similar to the cane grub already in
Australia and can be controlled by the same chemicals used for the cane grub.
Production and Production Constraints
The
papers presented in this section were more an overview of the production of
the country represented by the speakers than technical papers on the agronomy
of the crop and mechanisation was never mentioned.
One
of our members Peter Salleras made a lively presentation in this section which
was very well received by the audience.
Breeding and Distribution of Improved Material
This section was again dominated by the TLB especially for the Samoans with
their research into creating a new variety of taro resistant to TLB. It also
has to be palatable, producing a good yield with a good shelf life.
The
Hawaiian delegate made a very interesting presentation on the same theme
because they have TLB in Hawaii although not as bad as in Samoa.
A
program has been initiated in 1998 in Hawaii to improve commercial taros
through breeding by increasing resistance to pests such as TBL and aphids,
increasing plant vigour and yield and developing new and exciting varieties
for the restaurants and landscape trade.
The
delegate for Hawaii John J. Cho mentioned to me in the course of a
conversation he had in its collection the Japanese cultivar called “Dodare”.
This cultivar is the favourite taro in Tokyo market and has the great
advantage compared to “Ishikawa wase” to yield twice more (10kg per plant).
He also offered me to give us some plants, because Hawaiian growers cannot
even supply the domestic market and are not looking for export.
We
decided together with David Midmore Jeff Daniells and David Hicks to have a
meeting with John Cho to find out how we could bring in this cultivar in
Australia.
Due
to the drastic quarantine regulation in Australia (not very well implemented)
it seemed that the only way to do it was to make tissue culture of the Dodare
cultivar in Hawaii and send them to Australia.
New
Product and Product Development was amalgamated with Quality standard and
Marketing under the name: Product Development and Marketing
We
were in for a big deception. The key speakers were absent.
A
food scientist working in Fiji hinted that the starch from taro may be broken
down into interesting compound and that the skin may contain some enzymes and
or antibodies but he left for Suva straight after his communication so nobody
could ask him to give more details.
A
food Scientist from the University of Ghana explained to us that in order to
prepare the traditional dish called "Fufu" they had to get rid of the acridity
of taro first and they found out that the best way was to dry the taro.
Nothing about taro chips. There was nothing about Quality standard either.
General Impression from the whole proceeds
Most of the speakers at one stage or another mentioned in their exposes that
the taro production in their respective countries but Fiji was decreasing.
Some mentioned that the farmers were shifting to easier crops such as cassava
or sweet potatoes.
The
speaker from Hawaii clearly mentioned that taro growers in Hawaii could not
supply enough taros for the fabrication of "Poi" and other processed taro
(taro burger).
An
other interesting comment was that, taro had shifted from a staple food to a
luxury food, especially for city folk due the competition of much cheaper
source of starch such as: rice, noodles, bread, potatoes, cassava and sweet
potatoes.
Unfortunately there was no paper on the starch of taro, but several speakers
mentioned that the starch of taro is more complex and of higher quality that
the starch of other vegetables and grains.
I
had an interesting exchange with a Fijian man in the street about taro
varieties in Fiji. He told me that according to him the best variety of taro
in Fiji was called “Lili Lolo N’dalu” in his own words “eating lili lolo
n’dalu is like paradise”. This declaration gives us some insight into the
fact that relatively poor people are still buying taro at a price three times
higher than rice.
Before the TLB, Samoa used to be the biggest exporter of taro to New Zealand.
The main variety cultivated and exported was called “Taro Niue” one of the
most famous variety in the South Pacific.Fiji grows also a variety of Taro
Niue called in Fiji “Tausala Ni Samoa”. They filled the void created by the
TLB in Samoa and export now to New Zealand, Samoa, Australia, and the West
Coast of the USA.
Taro is now the second export of Fiji. The price paid to the grower (farm
Gate) varies between $ 0.80 and $ 1.20 per kg.
According to the two main exporters of taro in Fiji $ 0.80 is the lowest limit
accepted by the farmers, if the price fall below this level they stop planting
taro. We are seeing the same thing in Australia. When the price falls below $
2.00 some growers stop planting taro.
Compared to others heavy root crops taro needs more skills a richer soil have
a longer cycle and is more strenuous therefore taro growers must received a
substantially higher price than cassava and sweet potatoes to keep motivated.
Especially for Australia I think mechanisation could be the answer for both
problem with the development of proper machinery we should be able to produce
cheaper and with less exsertion for the farmer.
To
come back to the problem of security, when I landed in Brisbane I put farmer
as my occupation on my custom declaration. I was very thoroughly checked by
and AQIS officer who asked me to look under my shoes to see if there was any
soil particles adhering to the sole.
I
applaud to the dedication of the AQIS officer who protects us from diseases,
which could be brought from overseas.
Later on, I remembered seeing the Fijian taro in Brisbane, Sydney and
Melbourne imported by sea container. This taro is unwashed and there is soil
adhering to the skin. The taro is packed in 20-kg plastic bags with few holes
punched into them.
The
bags are stacked in the containers and therefore the other bags close most of
the holes in the plastic bags and I believe the plastic is doing a very good
job at protecting the taro and the soil from the fumigation.
Another problem is this taro still has live buds and could be used as planting
material with all the risks involved.
It
probably would be a good idea to ask AQIS to reassess the risks posed by the
Fijian taro in the light of what we learned during the Symposium.
A
meeting including AQIS officers, DPI pathologist and senior horticulture
officer and representative from the Taro Growers Australia Inc. Is much
needed.
Conclusion
The
third Taro Symposium certainly filled all our expectations and beyond.
We
come back with a wealth of information, we broke our isolation, and we meet
very interesting Australian scientists based in Australia doing research on
taro usually for Pacific Islands countries. This may prove an asset to the
development of our industry.
Since several thousand years traditional farmers have done the taro breeding.
They certainly did a good job if we consider that there are more than 2000
thousand cultivars in the Pacific Islands. These people eat a lot of taro and
most probably taste and size were their primary concern.
The
out-break of TLB in Samoa changed this situation with countries like Samoa,
Hawaii and India among others starting their own breeding program. With the
means at their disposition I would not be surprised to see new exciting
varieties being created in the next few years.
New
priorities are: Resistance to disease and pests, yield, shorter duration to
maturity, shelf life and of course the taste must still be appealing to the
taro consumers.
I
would like to thanks RIRDC in my name and in the name of Taro Growers
Australia Inc. to give us the chance to attend this symposium which present so
many opportunities for our Industry.
Philippe Petiniaud
President
Derived
from 3rd Taro Symposium: Paper 1.5 Soloman Islands
"..It was found that taro cultivars are usually named by
farmers according to criteria such as morphological characteristics, place of
origin, and name of person who discovered or introduced the taro. Sometimes,
names are given that are associated with the situation or circumstances that
led to the acquisition of the taro landrace. For example, a commonly
cultivated cultivar in Temotu is named “selfis”(selfish) because one of the
farmers who grew it refused to share it with others...."
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