Taro has been a niche commodity in the Australian fresh food
markets for over 20 years. A need predominately filled by imported Pacific
Island taro for the ex-patriot Island communities, there became in
latter years, increasing market demands from a swelling
domestic Asian/Middle Eastern population of Australia. This led to a
parallel market being developed with Asian varieties of taro, hence the
initiation of Taro Growers Australia. Around 2001 a collective group
was formed led by Philippe Petiniaud, in wet tropics district of Far
North Queensland. In 2002 Taro Growers
Australia was established.
Taro, Colocasia esculenta,
is one of those crops that is seeing a great deal of growth and
interest world-wide. A crop in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia
taro continues to be sought after by a growing market and used in
several regional and ethnic cuisines. Their page has a number of good
internal links.
The above information, and photograph, is from the Taro Growers of Australia Society,
Inc.
home
site at: http://home.iprimus.com.au/sphil/taro/
and will be updated at their request.
