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KANGAROO Island farmer Rick Cane is gearing up for the annual yacca harvest, helping keep alive one of Australia's older but lesser known industries.
Mr Cane has been reaping the valuable gum from the yacca plant to supplement his income for about 20 years, but he has also taken on the first-stage of processing this year.
In one of Australia's more unusual harvests, Mr Cane heads into the bush during quieter times each year to harvest dead yaccas with a mattock.
The yaccas are only allowed to be harvested if they have died, limiting supply on the island. Mr Cane loads them on to his ute and processes the plant into coarse yacca, which is then bagged up and sent to the Barossa Valley for further processing.
There the yacca is turned into fine powder by processors Dianne and Andrew Correll for sale to international markets.
It is used for pyrotechnics- for fireworks and flares - and as an additive in paint.
"It is a very small niche market among loyal pyrotechnicians, who like our product because it is less volatile and gives better colours," Mrs Correll said.
Up to 50 tonnes of yacca is harvested each year under strict environmental guidelines on the island, the world's sole remaining source of yacca powder. Generations of islanders have harvested the yacca plant and it has been processed into powder for sale to overseas markets.
Yacca harvesting took place on Kangaroo Island in the 1890s during early land-clearing operations. It peaked in the 1930s. Uses have also included making varnish, stains, floor polish, dyes, shoe polish and wine colouring.
It was even used to make ammunition during the two world wars.
The yacca's flowering spike was used by Aboriginal people to make fishing spears and as an adhesive to patch up leaky water-containers and didgeridoos.
![yacca.jpg]()
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/business/ ... 6683312752
Mr Cane has been reaping the valuable gum from the yacca plant to supplement his income for about 20 years, but he has also taken on the first-stage of processing this year.
In one of Australia's more unusual harvests, Mr Cane heads into the bush during quieter times each year to harvest dead yaccas with a mattock.
The yaccas are only allowed to be harvested if they have died, limiting supply on the island. Mr Cane loads them on to his ute and processes the plant into coarse yacca, which is then bagged up and sent to the Barossa Valley for further processing.
There the yacca is turned into fine powder by processors Dianne and Andrew Correll for sale to international markets.
It is used for pyrotechnics- for fireworks and flares - and as an additive in paint.
"It is a very small niche market among loyal pyrotechnicians, who like our product because it is less volatile and gives better colours," Mrs Correll said.
Up to 50 tonnes of yacca is harvested each year under strict environmental guidelines on the island, the world's sole remaining source of yacca powder. Generations of islanders have harvested the yacca plant and it has been processed into powder for sale to overseas markets.
Yacca harvesting took place on Kangaroo Island in the 1890s during early land-clearing operations. It peaked in the 1930s. Uses have also included making varnish, stains, floor polish, dyes, shoe polish and wine colouring.
It was even used to make ammunition during the two world wars.
The yacca's flowering spike was used by Aboriginal people to make fishing spears and as an adhesive to patch up leaky water-containers and didgeridoos.
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/business/ ... 6683312752
