Arrowroot industry in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

The Arrowroot industry in the St.Vincent is essential for foreign exchange. Arrowroot production in St.Vincent has competition from places such as Australia, Southeast Asia & East Africa. St.Vincent is a major producer of arrowroot in the world.

History

St. Vincent and the Grenadines has a long history of arrowroot production. The industry arose from humble beginnings as the food and medicine of the Carib and Garifuna peoples to the status of a major export of St. Vincent during the period 1900 to 1965. It became an important commodity in colonial trade in the 1930’s. As the sugar industry declined in the nineteenth century, cultivation of arrowroot was developed to fill the void. Since then, the area cultivated declined steadily and the as the crop was eclipsed by competition from other crops, particularly banana. Evidence of its former glory is indicated by the ruins of the various magnificent 19th century factories located in every valley on St. Vincent mainland.

Arrowroot cultivation is now concentrated on farms located north of the Rabacca River particularly in the Owia area. In 1998/99, the industry produced convert|312000|lb|abbr=on of starch, which represents about three percent of the maximum levels that the island exported in the 1960s.

In the past, the St. Vincent Arrowroot Industry played an important role in the economy of the island, contributing close to 50% of the country’s foreign export earnings and was the principal source of employment and income of the rural people from the 1930s to the 1960s. During the War Years, the Industry donated a spitfire fighter plane to the Colonial War efforts. By the end of the War, the Industry contributed to the construction of the Peace Memorial Hall in recognition of local effort to the War.

Conditions for growth

*Temperatures = Temperatures should avearge 25C to 27C.
*Rainfall = Rainfall should vary between 1,500 mm to 1,800 mm.
*Drainage = Adequate drainage is necessary as too much stagnant water causes the plant to rot.
*Soil = Alluvial and volcanic soils are suitable with a sloping surface well-suited for best yields. In St.Vincent, arrowroot is cultivated on yellow and brown latosols. These soils are mature and have a clayey loam texture.

Uses

*Used as an odorless baby powder.
*A product for use in cookies, baby foods, dessert mixes and breakfast foods.
*Used in production of high quality computer paper as well as for a myriad of food, beverages, animal feeds and pharmaceutical products.
*In its natural form it is in high demand as a cooking thickener of gravies, and sauces.

Cultivation & Farming Practices

The plant is propagated from other rhizomes and cultivation takes place up to heights of 300 metres on the eastern and windward facing side of the highlands of St.Vincent. Cultivation covers an area of about 3,700 ha. and some 80% of the crop is grown by small farmers. The arrowroot plant is very hardy and not very demanding in its requirements. St. Vincent, particularly the north-east coast, provides the ideal growing conditions for optimal yields; deep, well drained, slightly acidic soils and a hot humid climate. Some peasants farmers produce the crop by shifting cultivation on the cleared forested slopes.

Arrowroot farming is labor intensive especially at harvesting which is done manually. The starch is derived from the underground storage stems or rhizomes, which are plowed up, manually removed from the field and processed at the plant at Owia. The dried starch is refined and tested for purity, graded and package for export.

Harvesting

The harvesting season extends from October to May. On the larger estates, the harvesting of the rhizome usually takes place from the base of a hill towards the top. Harvesting involves breaking off the rhizome from the shoot. Planting and harvesting are inter-related in that when the rhizomes are harvested the shoot is replanted at the same time. In St.Vincent, much use is made of rural unemployment and many women workers are involved in the various phases of operation. Mechanical harvesters have recently been introduced and this allows the arrowroot to be harvested in a shorter time. However, this will lead to some existing workers being unemployed even though labor is becoming increasingly difficult.

Processing

When processing the rhizome of tubers, the peeling and washing of roots is undertaken. The rhizome is grated in water and the fiber extracted, but mechanical grinding on the estates is performed. The extract is dried to a powder flake and has to be washed several times for it to be free from impurities. Although this is done by hand, machines are also used. It is then placed in vats containing water. By this process, the starch which is the marketable product, settles. The final product is graded and blended for export.

Six factories process the island's arrowroot and large size processing plants are located at Belle Vue and at Owia.