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Thailand Cassava
Cassava, a root crop from which tapioca is made, was
introduced in about 1935. The tubers may also be boiled and eaten
as a vegetable or ground into flour. An important food in many
tropical subsistence economies, cassava had never been
significant in Thailand in the past because of the abundance of
rice. Cassava developed into an important export item in the
1950s, and production continued through the 1970s and 1980s as
external demand increased. Thai output of cassava root in 1984
was more than 19 million tons, second only to Brazil in world
production. The main growing areas were Chon Buri and Rayong
provinces, southeast of Bangkok, but substantial quantities were
also grown in parts of the Northeast. In 1986 Thailand signed a
4-year tapioca trade agreement with the EEC calling for export of
21 million tons of tapioca during the 1987-91 period.
Data as of September 1987
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