Interview: Cyprus University employs high technology to revive traditional cultivation of carobs

The state University of Cyprus is teaming up with farmers in a project aimed at reviving the traditional cultivation of carobs which had been a big income earner for the eastern Mediterranean island a few decades ago, University's Rector Constantinos Christofides said on Monday.

"The idea is to combine high technology and traditional farming with a view of finding new uses for carobs such as preparing baby food as carobs are known to help in digestion and intestine problems," Christofides told Xinhua.

He said the target is to make use of the special characteristics of the carobs. The fruit is gluten free, rich in sugars, calcium (it provides twice as much calcium as milk) and phosphorous, and contains substances which work as analgesics, antioxidant and antiseptic, essential minerals and substitutes for coffee and cocoa without their side effects, and also lower cholesterol level.

"It is amazing that the traditional main use for carobs was to prepare animal fodder. But their characteristics make them suitable for a plethora of products. Consuming them raw is very healthy," Christofides said.

Villagers knew that they could stop vomiting in children and also treat diarrhea in children and adults by giving them carob flour.

Medicinally, carobs are used for digestion problems including diarrhea, heartburn and the inability to absorb certain nutrients from food. Other uses of carob include the treatment of obesity, vomiting during pregnancy and high cholesterol.

The seeds are rich in gum and they are used in gum manufacturing, making medicinal capsule casings for people who cannot take synthetic or organic substances, as thickening agents in ice-cream and pasty and also for making electronic boards.

A peculiarity of the seeds is that all seeds in a pod, usually 12, are of equal weight though they may differ in size. They were used to weight diamonds, giving the name "carat" to the measure of their size.

Scientists at the University of Cyprus are busy in researching for more uses for carobs.

Cyprus was the third largest exporter of carobs after Spain and Italy up to the 1960s.

The carob trade provided an income of several million sterling pounds a year, at a time when people were striving to stay alive.

Currently only small quantities are harvested and are mainly used by local industries producing a local candy, syrup dressing and carob flour which are said to be suitable for diabetics.

Production stood at 50,000 tons in the 1960s but latest data showed that only 9,000 tons were collected in 2012.

The project to revive carob cultivation involves planting 40,000 new carob trees to create the island's biggest contiguous carob forest on government lands along the southwestern shores of the island which were leased to the University of Cyprus.

The Forestry Department has already produced 40,000 seedlings which will be planted in winter time this year. They will be grafted in the spring next year to produce trees of the two main variations known to have the desired characteristics.

The department said that apart from the economic benefit, the creation of a carob forest will help prevent soil corrosion and promote bio-diversity.

The University organized a gathering recently which attracted many farmers interested to take part in the project. It is also interested in attracting overseas investment and is in contact with pharmaceutical companies and baby food manufacturers to exploit the medicinal and nutritional properties of the carobs, and even with breweries for the possible production of beer.

"The idea is to attract interest from food and pharmaceutical manufactures but also private local and foreign investment in a sector that we believe offers vast prospects," said Christofides.

He said the project is aimed at promoting a sector which offers great potential by applying science to a traditional activity.

"This will help create jobs for farmers who otherwise would be idle, offer job opportunities in research and in manufacturing and help Cyprus consolidate and expand growth after its bailout adventure," said Christofides.

"But above all it will show people that there are ways to survive and get on up again after a catastrophe," he added. Endit