Tapioca (Manihot Esculenta Crantz) was introduced in India during the later part of the 18th Century. Today, in India tapioca is grown over an area of about 3 lakhs hectares, with a production of 58 to 60 lakhs tonnes of tubers. Though Kerala ranks first in cultivation and production in the country. Tamilnadu stands first in respect of processing of tapioca into starch and sago and hence this crop has now acquired a status of one of the important commercial crops in the State.

Tapioca and its finished products are used as food, animal feed and as raw material for several industrial products. Tapioca is considered as the cheapest source of Carbohydrates among the cereals, tubers and root crops and is a staple diet in may parts of Africa, South America & Asia. About 500 million people eat tapioca in the World. Nutritionally, it contains 98% Carbohydrates and appreciable amount of Calcium and Vitamin-C. India is one of the leading countries in tapioca production.