Sago Palms

Neglected Source of Native Food in Fiji

FOR years now, Fijians have used the sago palm, one of the commonest indigenous palms in the Group, to provide thatching material for their dwellings, but it is a remarkable fact that they never have used it as a source of foodstuff.

In New Guinea, Papua, BSI, and the East, sago has been one of the main articles of food for the bulk of the popu lation for centuries, but the Fijians appear to have been ignorant of the fact that the trunk of this indigenous species contained starch and they never learned how to extract it Writing in the “Agricultural Gazette” a short time ago, Mr. B. E. V. Parham, MA, an officer of the Fiji Department of Agriculture, drew attention to this curious state of affairs and he gave some inter esting information about the sago palm (Metroxylon vitiensis), which is known to the Fijians as “soga”.

It occurs in extensive groves in swamps throughout the main island of Viti Levu and grows to a height of 30 to 40 feet, with a trunk 4 to 6 feet in girth. The large pinnate fronds attain a length usually of about 20 feet.

Some time ago, stated Mr. Parham, a quantity of sago flour was produced ex perimentally at the Central Agricultural Station, Fiji. Mature palms were felled and the stems cut into lengths of 3 to 4 feet —which were split and the whole of the pith removed and grated by hand into a vessel containing water. The starch washed out of the material settled al most immediately, and three or four washings and then sieving through gauze netting were sufficient to produce a starch

of a pale pink colour .(almost white).

After washing and settling, the starch was cut out in blocks and dried in the sun or over charcoal fires.

The quantity of starch obtained de pends upon the age and maturity of the tree. Maximum starch content of the trunk occurs just before the palm flowers, only once in a life time at the age of 10 to 20 years. After fruiting the palm normally dies, so that the utilization of a tree for starch production does not in volve the destruction of potentially valuable material.

It was estimated that, using simple tools, two Fijians could handle a palm tree in five days. Production per palm would be around 600 lb. of starch, yield ing about 200 lb. of sago.

In New Guinea, sago represents 80 per cent, of the food requirements of over 700,000 native people. There, four “boys” can wash 600 lb. of starch a day. The NG price for sago to be issued as a plan tation-labour ration is £l2 per ton, com pared with £22 per ton for rice, 21 lb. of rice being equivalent to 2 lb. of sago.

The cost of labour to make it is about £5/10/- per ton.

The sago of commerce is obtained by mixing sago flour or meal with water to form a paste which is pressed through cloth and then through sieves with fine meshes. It falls into a shallow pan heated over a fire and is thus granulated to form “pearl” sago.

Mr. Jack Crockett, who is well-known on the Morobe goldfields, New Guinea, is at present undergoing training with an AIF infantry battalion at Dubbo,

Nsw.

Mr. Eric Owen-Turner has taken over the position of accountant at Burns, Philp & Co. Ltd.’s Samarai branch in place of Mr, S. Mason who has been transferred to Townsville, Queensland.