ABSTRACT
Papaya,anativeoftropicalAmerica,hasnowspreadalloverthetropicalworld.Itisknownby differentnames,suchaspapaw(England),mamao(Brazil),lechoso(Venezuela),andfruta bomba(Cuba).Papayaisgrownmostlyforfreshconsumptionorforproductionofproteolytic enzymepapainfromthefruitlatex.Itisconsumedinlargeamountsinmostareasofthetropics andisthoughttocontributegreatlytothevitaminCcomponentofthedietinruralareasof America.Latexproductionislaborintensiveandconcentratedmainlyintheareaswherethecost oflaborislow.Brazil,Mexico,Thailand,Indonesia,andIndiaaretheleadingproducers(1)of papaya(Table1).Inaddition,Hawaii,Taiwan,PuertoRico,Peru,Bangladesh,andAustraliaalso cultivatethiscropcommercially.HawaiiandLatinAmericancountriesalsoexportpapayastothe UnitedStates.
