This tiny tuber crop now brings high economic efficiency, helping many Vietnamese farmers to prosper.

Calathea allouia have long been associated with people in the West, they are also known as tapioca tubers, and dwarf ginseng roots…

Calathea allouia are round or ovoid, with long stalks linked together in clusters. 

Calathea allouia have only one crop a year, harvested around November and December of the lunar calendar (about January and February of the solar calendar).

In the past, people ate Calathea allouia “to save hunger”, but now this tiny tuber becomes a specialty for sale in the city, making many delicious dishes such as: dwarf tea, braised chicken with dwarf roots, boiled, made with Calathea allouia. powder to make drinking water such as tapioca…

On the market, Calathea allouia are sold for 25,000 – 35,000 VND/kg ($1) for raw tubers depending on how big or small they are, people also sell boiled dwarf bulbs for 60,000 VND/kg.

In recent decades, people in Dong Nam and Hau Giang have grown dwarf bulbs and brought in considerable income

Dwarf bulbs have a growth period of more than 9 months, when the leaves droop, it is time to harvest the bulbs.

Productivity is stable at 1.5-2 tons/ton, currently, traders come to the field to buy at 20,000 VND ($1)/kg.

Excluding all investment costs, farmers grow dwarf potatoes with a profit of about 20-25 million VND ($1,000)/1000 m² 

 This type of tree is very easy to grow, many people just work the land, raise the beds to plant it, and the investment and care costs are very low.

Photo: Internet (Vietnamese.Quest.net)