ABSTRACT
The charge given to the members of the economic section was to look critically at economic aspects of stored and processed products, which need to be examined in assessing the potential of products developed from root crops. While recognizing that foreign exchange problems or national defense needs can override economic considerations and cause government to deliberately influence supply and consumption, the chapter focuses on the more normal situation where economic considerations are paramount. The purely economic function of agricultural marketing is the allocation of scarce products over time, space, and form and among consumers. For the economists the major concern when evaluating root crop products is their competitiveness. Among the root crops taro and yams sometimes partake of the characteristic of super foods but there may be strong local preference for sweet potato and cassava. Consumer tastes and preferences affect the demand for a root crop product. Frequently special processing of tropical root crops is required to remove toxic principles.
