Chocobos now vs. years ago...

I'm returning to FFXI after years of not playing. Of course I wanted to start on a chocobo right away, since it takes such a lot of invested time. I ran from Sandy to Jeuno (I think there is a bumper sticker on my arse now that reads "I hate tigers!") and bribed that Mithra until she sold me a chocobo egg, which I turned in at the Sandy chocobo place.

Now... loads of things are different.

For one thing, you used to be able to buy vegetable paste but now there's none to be found. Are people all making their own? Is it mostly already-established breeders and racers to the point that everyone buys it with chocobucks? Is there some new reason a person just wouldn't want to use vegetable paste?

I suppose that's it for now... other than the new person limits on gardening (for greens, etc.) is there anything else an old-new person should now about "modern" chocobo raising?

I dont think iv ever actually used that paste before. What does it do?

I imagin a lot of ppl dont bother with raiseing chocos much any more. A lot of old popular items are no longer rly around.
You can craft that paste tho. Its a cooking 21 recipie. So it wouldnt be to hard to make, or find someone to make it for you.

I could be wrong... but it used to be a food for chicks that raised affection. 2 or 3 would fill a starving chick and raise affection one level?