Healthy alternative
Group plans to launch tavioka flour in market
THE Tavioka Group which is the business arm of the Tavioka Growers Association, is planning to launch an alternative source of flour into the market early this year.
Tavioka Growers Association president Josaia Rayawa shared his sentiments on cassava having huge cash flow potential for individuals and the health components of cassava flour.
“Everybody knows tavioka but the idea of tavioka flour was totally foreign, only flour we know is the flour that is sold in the supermarkets without mentioning names,” he said.
Mr Rayawa said flour played a very intricate role in our diet and every individual had it in their household.
He went on to say most glutton-free flour bought from shops were imported, therefore they wanted to approach the process through the health aspects.
“So we set up a Facebook page and threw things in there about what is glutton-free, and all these kind of things.
“All of that opened up another world for us and it solidified our view that the health component of this drive must be a very critical one.
“It must play a very critical role in educating our people, yes you are eating flour but here is an alternative.”
Mr Rayawa said they wanted to give people an alternative to choose something which was affordable and still continue to enjoy baking.
“We are not there to change their world but we are there to give them an opportunity to use alternative health options using cassava flour,” he said.
The idea started before COVID-19 as the association wanted to get into a business which had a direct impact on a greater cross section of the society and the pandemic had just escalated their plans.
“When COVID hit peoples focus and direction changed.
“We came back together and we really said we need to do something because people were getting laid off from work, people being asked to take leave,” he said.
“When you think of tavioka for us it's not a new thing, it's a product that is known to a lot of people but we discuss the idea of, starting off with the health component.”
He added they pitched the idea of turning cassava into flour by using a certified mill of one of their colleagues and had brought two tonnes of cassava from his farm in Gau to test out the process.
As they got the flour component they sent a sample out to one of the supermarkets in Suva as well as the Hot Bread Kitchen which tested the flour out in their bakery while also sending out samples to other individuals.
“The response from that really blew us away, we felt good about that, because our intentions was always right it wasn't born out of something to make money.
“Then other friends believed in the idea came forward and really formed the crutch of our executive committee.
“We are all voluntary individuals but there is enough firepower in this group here to be able to realise it could evolve into a structured setup where as a group we look to mobilising the general population about the idea of tavioka flour,” he said.