The Taro TattlerIf~ University of Hawaii ~~. V' College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources l'~ ,

For Growers, Shippers, and Processors of Chinese, Poi, Dasheen, and Pacific Island Taros from Hawaii

VOL. 2, NO. 4

In the last issue we saw letters from two L.A. buyersthat would like to buy more taro . Since that time (and evenbefore then) we've heard of people starting to plant to meetthose and other needs, such as our local market. WAIT!STOP! AND PUT DOWN YOUR 0'0 STICK FOR AMOMENT! and ask yourself, are you: Planning to Fail,because you are, Failing to Plan?! This point can not bestressed often enough, you must have a buyer before youplant to reduce the risk of being stuck with a bunch ofproduct - remember 300-400 farmers on different islandsget this newsletter and they are also reacting to new marketdemands in much the same way you are. We also cautionyou from (illegally)importingplanting stock from the otherSouth Pacific Islands as they may have some diseases thatwe don't have here.

If you are looking for Chinese taro huli right now,however, give Joe De Mauro (671-3379 farm in Waipahu) acall in the mornin s and also Albert Kahn (737-3589 farm in

Different Kinds of Taro(source: SPC, Leaflet 1, 1980)

May 1990

Waimanalo) a call in the evenings.

BACK TRACKING

Yes, someone is reading this newsletter! In our lastissue of the Tattler we reported, somewhat erroneously as itturns out, that there were no Hawaii State laws regardingthe quality of poi. Wilber Kubota of the Department ofHealth, Food Products Division (548-3280), says however,while the Department of Agriculture may not have anyrules governing poi, their department does in Title 11,Chapter 29 HRS under Food and Food Products:

"11-29-6 Egi.(a) Poi is the unadulterated product of the edible taro root

(tubers) made into paste. which shall contain not lessthan twenty eight (28) per cent of total solids.

(b) Ready-mixed poi means poi mixed with water and

Colocasia Cyrtosperma

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Alocasia Xanthosoma

containing not less than fifteen (15) per cent of totalsolids. The label of this food shall bear, in print of uniformsize and prominence, the words 'Ready-Mixed Poi.'[Effective Nov. 5,1981]."

Many thanks to Brian Tottori and the good folks downat Honolulu Poi for bringing this error to our attention!

for callaloo soup", for the particular market may sparksome interest - hey, it works for the GreenGiant! If this typeof packaging appeals to you and you would like to discusssome of your ideas with us, call Jim Hollyer (948-8800). Wecontinue now with some additional thoughts on how todesign a package for whatever type of productyou market.

Keepthe design simple. Do not place long product descrip­tions on the front of the package. The consumer does notwant to read all that.Use large, bold, and simple lettering. If the contents of thepackage is a dip, make sure it says dip on the label.Choose colors for package design that might not be asso­ciated with an offensive state of affairs. You will note thatcheese and bread manufacturers do not like to use largeamounts of blue or green in their package design. Green orblue, in this case, might be associated with mold. [Ofcoursewith luau leaves green would be a good color, as wouldpurple with poi packages].If you are manufacturing a gourmet food item, the packageshould convey elegance.

2.

3.

4.

Some Thoughts on Designing a PackageFromthe Conference Proceedings of Herbs '88, held in

Baton Rouge, LA,comesa few thoughts by Mike King aboutmarketing a specialty food item such as taro leaves. In hisarticle, "Marketing Gourmet Food Products", he says,"Package design is a complicated procedure. When creat­ing a package design, a few suggestions need to be consid­ered.

1.

Kulolo Making at Kawaiahao Church, Tuesday & Wed­nesday, June 5 & 6,1990 - Honolulu

The art of kulolo (taro + sugar + coconut milk + Aloha)making will be displayed at Kawaiahao Church on thecorners of Punchbowl and Beretania beginning at 9 a.m.This 2-day process is a prelude to the Church's yearlyKamehameha Day luau on June 9. (call 522-1333 for info.)

UPCOMING EVENTS

Fourth TaroIndustryAnalysis,Friday,June 15,1990-HiloThe fourth Industry Analysis will be held at the Komo­

hana street extension office from 1-5p.m. Worksheets willbe mailed out to all extension offices and to selected indus­try members on about Wednesday, May 30,1990. Copiesofworksheets will also be available at the meeting. Ifyou haveany questions about the meeting call Ramon de la Pefia inKauai (822-4984) or Jim Hollyer (948-8800) on Oahu. Theremay be some pre-analysis demonstrations and for thatinformation call Dwight Sato (959-9155) on the Big Island.

TALK 'N LEAVES

Finally...In this issue of the Tattler we'd like to focus ona part of the taro that often takes a back seat in any discus­sion about the expansion of the taro industry: luau leaves .Taro-, dasheen-, callaloo-, or luau-leaves, whatever youchoose to call those tasty nutrition-laden greens, they areeaten by Pacific and Caribbean Islanders living in theirnative countries and adopted homes, in soups, salads andas side dishes. In order to prevent any confusion on thevarieties of taro that produce these leaves, please find onpage one a drawing from a South Pacific Commissionpamphlet showing the different types of taro. For the mostpart, only the cooked leaves from the genus Colocasia andXanthosoma are eaten.

At the present time most growers of luau leaves havetheir market pretty well defined and the demand moreoften than not, met. However, there appears to be addi­tional markets for those who do wish to expand, namely, tothose folks who don't know that luau leaves can be substi­tuted for spinach and other similar greens. The currentpackaging methods, however, do little to entice these po­tential customers as they are often not very attractive, wellpresented, or provide any informationabout the product tothe consumer - do luau leaves need to be cooked? On page3 are just two examples of what we consider to be informa­tive and appealing packaging - note the highlighted areasand how they inform customers. Perhaps trimming thestems - "fancy or gourmet cut" or sizing the leaves - "great

Sources of information on design can come from sev­eral publications: Packaging Digest. Food and Drug Pack­~ and the Machinery and Equipment Resource Guide.These sources will help you with manufacturing the prod­uct. I think every library handles or carries these publica­tions." He goes on to say that you will have to list youringredients on the package in order of decreasing amountsand that you should consider getting your package designcopyrighted.

Item #4 above is very important for those wishing toattract new customers and those wishing to enthuse exist­ing ones. From the April1990 issue ofFancy Food comes thisadvice for getting a good looking and effective package orpromotion display the first time:

1. Get written estimates and turn-around time from severalprinters [on each job you want done], but be certain you useidentical specifications. Some printers have more appropri­ate equipment for certain jobs than others andcan thereforecharge lower prices.

2. See samples of the paper, [plastic], and ink being used.3. Learn the best way to prepare the artwork for the printer.4. When using color photos [of your product] , make them to

scale, or prepare on one board for a better gang-up price.This can save you a lot of money.

5. Ideally, [hire a professional artist] and have them work withthe printer for better results. [Again, you get what you payfor].

6. Have a good idea what you want to accomplish [with youradvertising or package design, Le. whose your targetaudience].

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7. Prepare a budget, discuss costs, time, schedule and pay­ment [with the printer you have chosen].

8. Invite ideas from professionals you work with and keep anopen mind. [Also, ask the manager of the stores where youwish to display your item. Very often they know the typesof packaging which catches the eye of their c1iental- thisis very important with snack food items!].

9. Avoid doing ads, [or designs] at the last minute [rememberyou must make a good impression the very first time]."(Gene Bennett, Across the Nation, page 8).

LEAF PRODUCTION TIPS

While it is important to market your leaves correctly,you first must grow a quality product. Most of the taroleaves sold in the market come from the Chinese taro grownunder wetland conditions. This is not to say, however, thatyou have to grow this variety or choose this productionmethod - some people are growing Tahitian taro, forinstance, under upland conditions. Whateveryou decide todo, make sure you take the following into account:

1. Know your market and plan your production with yourbuyer, and with respectto seasonal and weather conditions- don't promise what you can't deliver. Work with yourbuyer on a marketing/packaging scheme.

2. If you choose to grow taro for leaves, don't try to sell thecorms after you have started to remove leaves becausethey most certainly will be of lesser quality - i.e. havespecial leaf patches.

3. When you use a dry fertilizer under wetland conditions, youmay experience some drift of fertilizer toward the drain end. .

, The Taro Project ~~Department of Agricultural and Resource EconomicsGilmore Hall 115University of HawaiiHonolulu, III 96822Attn: Jim Hollyer

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fertilizer, but make sure if you do that it is completelywashed off before you send your product to market. Callyou extension agent for more information.

4. Don't harvest to the point where your plant will not be ableto recover - think long term !

5. If you have Phytophtora blight you may wish to clean offyourcutting knives frequently indisinfectant to avoidspread­ing the disease - this is what the anthurium growers do.Also, keep your knives sharp - this will help the plant healfaster.

6. If you are using a perforated plastic bag, usually holdingabout 20 pounds of leaves, for your field and marketingcontainer (a box would be better), make sure that you don'tstack or compress the leaves any more than you have to.Also, try to keep the bags shaded in the field and refriger­ated after harvest and during transport to reduce furtherdamage and to slow respiration.

7. Lastly, make sure your buyer markets your product cor­rectly -take the time to look next time you are at the store.

For more information please write:The Taro ProjectDepartment of Agricultural and Resource EconomicsGilmore Hall 115University of HawaiiHonolulu, HI 96822Attn: Jim Hollyer, editor

Reference to a company or product name does not implyapproval or recommendation of the product by the Collegeof Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources , University ofHawaii.