Monthly Archive for June, 2010

Kauai may allow agriculture land vacation rentals By Associated Press

Published on June 29, 2010 in Ag Tourism and General Ag News and Notes.

LIHUE>> A Kauai County Council bill that would legalize hundreds of existing vacation rentals on agricultural lands is gaining ground.

The new bill received a county Planning Commission stamp of approval in April. It sailed through a first hearing at the county council last month.

The bill proposed by Councilman Tim Bynum would give vacation rentals operating on land zoned for agriculture an opportunity to apply for a permit.

The vacation rentals would have to have been operating before March 7, 2008 to qualify.

Two years ago, Kauai passed a law creating a path for vacation rental owners to legalize their operations by applying for permits.

But this measure specifically excluded those operating on agriculture land.
http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/breaking/97430509.html

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Maui Land & Pineapple Company, Inc. Announces Subscription Price for Rights Offering

Published on June 28, 2010 in Pineapple.

LAHAINA, Hawaii–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Maui Land & Pineapple Company, Inc. (NYSE:MLP) today announced the subscription price for its previously announced $40 million rights offering of common stock to its shareholders. The subscription price per share is $3.85.

Upon commencement of the rights offering, shareholders will receive one non-transferable subscription right for each share of common stock owned as of the close of business on July 7, 2010, which is the record date for the rights offering. Each subscription right will entitle the shareholder to purchase approximately 1.23 shares of common stock, at a subscription price of $3.85 per share. Shareholders who fully exercise all of their initial subscription rights will be entitled to purchase any unsubscribed shares at the same subscription price per share, on a pro rata basis.

A copy of the prospectus and additional materials relating to the rights offering are expected to be mailed on or about July 9, 2010 to shareholders as of the record date. Shareholders may also obtain a copy of the prospectus and additional materials by contacting Maui Land & Pineapple Company, 870 Haliimaile Road, Makawao, Hawaii 96768, Attn: Corporate Secretary, via telephone at (808) 877-3895 or via email at asumida@mlpmaui.com.
About Maui Land & Pineapple Company, Inc.

Maui Land & Pineapple Company, Inc., organized in 1909, is a landholding, real estate development and asset management company headquartered in Maui, Hawaii. The company owns approximately 24,000 acres of land on Maui, including its principal development, the Kapalua Resort, a 1,650 acre master-planned, luxury destination resort community.

Maui Land & Pineapple Company, Inc. Announces Subscription Price for Rights Offering

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Isle ethanol efforts stall

Published on June 27, 2010 in Biofuels and General Ag News and Notes.


two surviving ventures face high hurdles

Ask just about anyone involved in the effort to start a home-grown ethanol industry in Hawaii and invariably the word "challenging" comes up.

Challenging, it turns out, is an understatement.

Four years ago companies were lining up to build ethanol production facilities in Hawaii after the state launched a program that offered generous tax credits and set a mandate that most gasoline sold in the state must contain 10 percent of the renewable fuel. Soaring ethanol prices, which hit a record $4.23 a gallon in the summer of 2006, also spurred interest. On the mainland, dozens of corn-based ethanol plants sprouted up across the Great Plains.

In Hawaii, meanwhile, plans were moving forward to erect ethanol plants that would mostly use sugar cane or sugar cane byproducts as a feedstock. Before any of the companies could get their permits approved, however, the price of ethanol collapsed, falling as low as $1.40 a gallon in late 2008. In addition to falling prices, difficulty in securing land to grow feedstocks and dwindling investor interest have made it difficult to get any new processing facilities up and running.

There were plans in recent years to build at least six plants in Hawaii to produce ethanol, an alcohol-based renewable fuel that can be made from a variety of organic materials, including sugar cane. Of the original six that were planned, only two are still on the books, and neither has a target date to begin construction.

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USDA Blog » Biomass and Biofuel – What’s in it for Hawaii’s Agriculture?

Published on June 25, 2010 in Agriculture Grants, Alternative Energy, Biofuels and General Ag News and Notes.


Hawaii and the Pacific Basin

The dwindling global supply of fossil fuels and the resulting escalation in prices has set the stage for entry of commercial biofuel produced from biomass, including co-products and bi-products. This transition in the energy sector’s feed stocks offers Hawaii a unique opportunity to locally produce biofuel from locally produced biomass feed stocks, and ultimately support the stabilization of the state’s energy resources; increase the local circulation of energy dollars; and further under gird Hawaii’s agricultural industry.

In October 2009, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced plans for a “Great Green Fleet” to demonstrate that Navy and Marine Corps ships and aircraft could operate utilizing non-fossil fuels by year 2016. In January, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Secretary Mabus to support the biomass and biofuel development that would ultimately fuel the Green Fleet. Hawaii was selected as a pilot region, with USDA providing the “push” through research and business incentives and the Navy making the “pull” with plans for purchase of biofuel from locally produced biomass. Continue reading ‘USDA Blog » Biomass and Biofuel – What’s in it for Hawaii’s Agriculture?’

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ML&P goes ahead with plan to raise $40M

Published on June 25, 2010 in General Ag News and Notes.

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Maui Land & Pineapple Co. has filed registration documents to proceed with a previously announced plan to convert some of its debt into equity.

On Thursday, the company said it intends to pursue a rights offering for up to $40 million of its common stock. That means it will offer existing stockholders the right to purchase additional shares in the company, raising money that will be used to pay back lenders.

ML&P said shareholders have already subscribed to $27.5 million of the offering.

If the rights offering is sold out, ML&P will repurchase all of its outstanding senior secured convertible notes – a kind of debt that allows lenders to take what they’re owed in the form of stock, if they’re not paid off in cash.

Continue reading ‘ML&P goes ahead with plan to raise $40M’

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10 answer HECO’s call for biofuel

Published on June 24, 2010 in Biofuels, General Ag News and Notes, Sugar Cane and Sustainability.


Local production is the key to gradually moving the state away from imported fuel

By Alan Yonan Jr.

The state’s quest for energy independence took a step forward with Hawaiian Electric Co. receiving bids from 10 companies seeking to supply the utility with biofuel produced locally to burn in its power plants.

    There are a number of potential biofuel feedstocks that can be produced in Hawaii, including:
      » Sugar cane
      » Sorghum
      » Jatropha
      » Eucalyptus
      » Invasive trees
      » Algae
      » Microbes
      » Yeast
      » Waste products

HECO said it would begin buying the renewable fuel over the next five years, starting with small amounts and gradually expanding its intake as the fledgling biofuel industry matures in Hawaii.

"We are pleased with the strong response," said HECO spokesman Peter Rosegg.

The deadline for companies to submit bids was Friday, and HECO is now evaluating the proposals. The names of the companies will not be made public until the winning bid or bids are announced.

Continue reading ‘10 answer HECO’s call for biofuel’

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Tree plan introduces bugs

Published on June 23, 2010 in General Ag News and Notes and Invasive Species.


Brazilian insect could slow growth of nonnative strawberry guava tree

The state is once again seeking approval to release a Brazilian scale insect into Hawaii forests to control the spread of the popular but environmentally needy strawberry guava tree.

    495,000
    Acres already densely infested
    680,000
    Acres of native forest areas that could become densely infested at current rates of growth
    133,000
    Acres of native forest not yet threatened

The state Department of Agriculture is expected to release an environmental assessment today, and the public will have 30 days to weigh in on the controversial bio-control initiative, which has been hotly debated for the past two years.

The assessment notes that the nonnative strawberry guava, which does not have a natural predator in Hawaii, crowds out native plants and animals and reduces the amount of water in soil, streams and groundwater systems by as much as 50 percent during dry periods. According to information cited in the study, strawberry guava also threatens Hawaiian archaeological sites and supports the proliferation of fruit flies, which can damage commercial produce.

"At its current trajectory, strawberry guava will take over all native plants statewide unless something is done," said Christy Martin, public information officer for the Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species, which coordinates alien pest responses by the state departments of Agriculture, Health, Land and Natural Resources and other agencies.

Continue reading ‘Tree plan introduces bugs’

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Purfresh Cold Chain Solutions Help Hali’Imaile Pineapple Company Meet High Quality Standards While Eliminating Chemicals

Published on June 21, 2010 in General Ag News and Notes, Haliimaile Pineapple and Pineapple.

Purfresh Outperforms Traditional Chemicals and Maintains the Quality Consumers Have Come to Expect from Maui Gold Pineapples

FREMONT, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Purfresh, a provider of clean technologies that purify, protect, and preserve our food and water, today announced that Hali’imaile Pineapple Company, previously known as the Maui Pineapple Company, has integrated Purfresh® Cold Storage and Purfresh Wash in their new packing facility. The intelligent atmosphere and disinfectant solutions from Purfresh combine clean, state-of-the-art ozone-based technology with web-based informatics to preserve quality and extend the shelf life of Maui Gold pineapples.

“We’re focused on delivering high-quality pineapples to our customers, and Purfresh’s clean solutions have been instrumental in eliminating mold and reducing chemical use in our operations,” said Mr. Brian Igersheim, director of quality control for Hali’imaile Pineapple Company. “With Purfresh, we replaced chlorine with ozone, have eliminated all shell and crown mold, and haven’t experienced any customer rejections as a result of decay since we implemented the systems. In addition, because ozone is certified for use on organic produce, we’re able to run our conventional and organic pineapples on the same line.”
Continue reading ‘Purfresh Cold Chain Solutions Help Hali’Imaile Pineapple Company Meet High Quality Standards While Eliminating Chemicals’

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Local support at heart of Hali‘imaile’s success – The Maui News

Published on June 20, 2010 in General Ag News and Notes, Haliimaile Pineapple and Pineapple.

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PUKALANI – Just a half year into its existence, Hali’imaile Pineapple Co. is operating "in the black" and hiring more employees, said Doug MacCluer, part owner of the company and a member of its board of directors.

"It’s manini, but we’re showing a profit," MacCluer said Thursday evening after providing an update on the company during a meeting of the Governor’s Council of Neighbor Island Advisors for Maui at the Mayor Hannibal Tavares Community Center.

The company is filling a void left by Maui Pineapple Co., which closed and laid off 285 employees Dec. 31, after sustaining multimillion-dollar losses. As recently as 2008, Maui Pine employed 659 workers.

"We thought we could straighten out a big mess, and it was a big mess," MacCluer said.

So far, Hali’imaile Pineapple has generated $3.2 million in revenue – before taxes and farmland rents to Maui Land & Pineapple Co.

Most of the revenue has gone to Hali’imaile Pineapple employees, who belong to the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, MacCluer said.

Continue reading ‘Local support at heart of Hali‘imaile’s success – The Maui News’

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New USDA State Director Visits GCC, Brings News of $2.25M ARRA Loan – Guam News

Published on June 18, 2010 in General Ag News and Notes.

Guam – At the same time Guam Community College officials were meeting the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development’s new state director for Hawaii and the Western Pacific Region this week, the college received formal word that it had been awarded a $2.25 million Community Facilities direct loan by the federal agency.

Dr. Mary Okada, GCC president, and Joseph Diego, Guam’s U.S.D.A. Rural Development area director, along with Doris Perez, GCC’s assistant director of Planning and Development and several other officials, met with Chris Kanazawa, the newly appointed Hawaii/Western Pacific Region state director for U.S.D.A. Rural Development, on Tuesday. At the meeting, Mr. Kanazawa announced that GCC was one of 145 government entities across 37 states and territories just awarded American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding for projects.

Continue reading ‘New USDA State Director Visits GCC, Brings News of $2.25M ARRA Loan – Guam News’

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Read today’s letters to the editor: Immigration | The News-Press

Published on June 18, 2010 in General Ag News and Notes.

Re: "Follow Hawaii," Diane L. Trembly, June 1. Ms. Trembly writes that she lived and was employed in Hawaii for 25 years and Hawaiian employers require two proofs of citizenship for every job applicant and she asks why the other 49 states can’t do the same thing. Actually, non-U.S. citizens with legitimate "green cards" and Social Security numbers are legal workers.

The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 requires all employers, without exception, to have "all" job applicants (U.S. citizens and non-U.S. citizens) complete Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification. The purpose of this form is to document that each new employee hired after Nov. 6, 1986, is authorized to work in the U.S.

Continue reading ‘Read today’s letters to the editor: Immigration | The News-Press’

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Barking mad – Star Advertiser

Published on June 17, 2010 in General Ag News and Notes.


Pet owners run out of patience with the shortage of inspectors and longer waits at Honolulu Airport’s quarantine station

The line of tired and weary pet owners can stretch out the door at the Honolulu Airport’s animal quarantine office, and tempers occasionally grow testy.

In just the last three weeks, the anti-rabies quarantine station has seen as many as 60 pet owners per day trying to squeeze through a time window that used to be 12 hours a day.

Since the number of inspectors reviewing both applications and animals was cut to two from four in December and mandatory furlough days went into effect, pet owners now have 31/2 fewer hours to get their pets processed through the increasingly busy quarantine station below Gate 26.

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Agriculture enlisting farmers to try pineapple – Virgin Islands Daily News

Published on June 16, 2010 in General Ag News and Notes and Pineapple.

By CONSTANCE COOPER
Daily News Staff

In an effort to boost fruit production in the territory, the V.I. Agriculture Department is offering $2 pineapple plants to local farmers.

Three popular commercial varieties not typically grown in the territory — sugar loaf, cayenne smooth and elite gold — will be available and will be shipped to growers for free in orders of 36 or more. The Agriculture Department will collect data about acreage and the the kinds of food grown by each farmer who orders the fruit.

Continue reading ‘Agriculture enlisting farmers to try pineapple – Virgin Islands Daily News’

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State offering agricultural leases in Pahoa | Hawaii 24/7

Published on June 13, 2010 in Agriculture Grants and General Ag News and Notes.


MEDIA RELEASE

The state Department of Agriculture (HDOA) is now accepting applications for lease negotiations on seven parcels of state agricultural land in the Pahoa Agricultural Park.

Interested persons should submit an application to the Agricultural Resource Management Division (ARMD) to determine whether they are qualified to hold an agricultural lease with the state. The deadline to submit the application is 3 p.m. July 14. Once qualified, the applicant will be notified about submitting a proposal for the parcel.

To qualify, a potential lessee must:
* Be a U.S. citizen who has resided in the State of Hawaii for at least three years; or
* Is a permanent status alien who has resided in the state for at least five years; and
* Is a bon fide farmer or new farmer as defined in the Hawaii Administrative Rules.

The parcels available in the Pahoa Ag Park include:
* Lot 1 – 10.193 acres
* Lot 3 – 10 acres
* Lot 12 – 29.166 acres
* Lot 15 – 19.596 acres
* Lot 18 – 5.372 acres
* Lot A – 13.428 acres
* Lot 8 – 5.002 acres

Continue reading ‘State offering agricultural leases in Pahoa | Hawaii 24/7′

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Thielen: Need to be efficient in finding new water sources – The Maui News

Published on June 13, 2010 in General Ag News and Notes, Sugar Cane and Water.

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State Commission on Water Resource Management Director Laura Thielen defended last week’s decision by the water panel to order 12.5 million gallons of water per day – now diverted by ditches for sugar cane irrigation and other uses – back into West Maui Mountain streams.

She said the commission established groundbreaking requirements for water conservation and called for the development of alternative water sources to streams for users.

"It was a very hard decision to make," said Thielen, who heads the state Department of Land and Natural Resources. "It’s not like it was a mathematical equation where there is one right answer. It was somewhat subjective. Maybe no one is 100 percent happy with the decisions, but to me, the important thing is we made the tough decisions."

The commission’s order Thursday to restore 12.5 million gallons to the streams – which will likely be appealed to Hawaii courts – amounted to about a third of the amount proposed by contested hearing officer and commissioner Dr. Lawrence Miike. The environmental and Native Hawaiian groups that had been hoping for more water to be restored called the decision a miscarriage of justice.

[callout]"The fact is we don’t have enough water, and there needs to be better investment in making systems more efficient and finding new water sources," Thielen said.[/callout] "I just felt it was important to make the hard decisions."

The majority members of the commission are forcing people to address the limits on Maui’s water resources, she said, adding that she hopes the panel’s action will inspire more responsible water resource management at the local level. It is time to move on to the tougher, more expensive water sources, such as digging wells and repairing leaks, she said.

Continue reading ‘Thielen: Need to be efficient in finding new water sources – The Maui News’

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Na Wai Eha: Decision in but dispute lingers (2 of 2) – The Maui News

Published on June 13, 2010 in General Ag News and Notes, Sugar Cane and Water.

 

WAIKAPU -Taro farmers and environmentalists said Friday that they would appeal a decision by the state Commission on Water Resource Management that ordered just a fraction of the water they hoped to see restored to the Na Wai Eha streams.

Earthjustice attorney Isaac Moriwake, who represented the groups that petitioned for greater stream flow, said legal precedent, the state water code and the Hawaii Constitution were on their side. He said he hoped the 6-year-old case would be resolved in their favor within another two to three years.

"The bottom line is we waited six years to get to this point, and I guarantee it will not take that long to get this resolved in the court system," Moriwake said. "If the law means anything, the court will find that the commission did not follow its public trust responsibilities in this case."

The water commission on Thursday ordered that a minimum of 12.5 million gallons of water per day be allowed to flow in Na Wai Eha streams, about a third of the amount that had been proposed. The decision restored water to only two of the four streams – 10 mgd to the Waihee River, and 2.5 mgd for the Waiehu Stream. Diversions at the remaining Iao and Waikapu streams would remain at existing levels.

Continue reading ‘Na Wai Eha: Decision in but dispute lingers (2 of 2) – The Maui News’

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