Kokubun nominated to Ag Department

Published on December 5, 2010 in General Ag News and Notes.

During the campaign, Gov.-elect Neil Abercrombie pledged to inaugurate an “agricultural renaissance” in Hawaii, and he’s tapped a veteran political figure to make it happen.

Abercrombie on Saturday appointed the 2nd District Sen. Russell Kokubun to the Department of Agriculture. His nomination comes on the heels of Dwight Takamine’s appointment to the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations after serving half a term as the senator from the 1st District.

The Big Island will lose two-thirds of its elected state Senate delegation if Abercrombie’s appointments are confirmed.

Pulse Research
All of Abercrombie’s appointments must be confirmed by the state Senate.

If Takamine and Kokubun are approved, Abercrombie will appoint senators to replace them.

Kokubun was elected to the Hawaii County Council in 1984 and served until 1992, including the last four years as chairman. He resigned to run for mayor but lost to Stephen Yamashiro in the primary election. Gov. Ben Cayetano appointed him in 1998 to the Board of Land and Natural Resources.

Two years later, when state Sen. Andy Levin resigned the South Hawaii seat to serve in the Kim administration, Cayetano tapped Kokubun for the seat. Continue reading ‘Kokubun nominated to Ag Department’

Ag officials urge buying local for the holidays

Published on November 14, 2010 in Flowers & Nursery and General Ag News and Notes.

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Hawaii has a lot of beautiful flowers that are available year-round. But we still think of evergreens and holly when it comes to Christmas decorations.

“I guess we’re kind of conditioned,” said Eric Tanouye, Vice President and General Manager of Green Point Nurseries of Hilo. “We’re all to blame for that. We’re looking for that certain look that maybe we grew up with.

But Hawaii’s agriculture community wants us to consider buying local plants and flowers. “Our locally produced flowers and plants make beautiful arrangements that could be used for holidays. Home settings, entertaining, at the office,” Tanouye said.

Tanouye was among those at the first annual “Buy Local for the Holidays” event Sunday at the Department of Agriculture’s plant quarantine branch facility near Sand Island. Floral designers from around the state were on hand, putting together flower arrangements. The public was also invited to create their own small floral arrangements to take home.

Organizers said there were two big reasons to buy local. First, export orders for Hawaii’s cut flower industry have fallen during the current economic downturn, and buying local would create a homegrown economic stimulus. Second, it would prevent invasive species from entering the state. Continue reading ‘Ag officials urge buying local for the holidays’

McDonnell appoints Lohr agriculture commissioner | Washington Post

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

Gov. Bob McDonnell has appointed Del. Matt Lohr (R-Rockingham) as the next commissioner of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

"Matt understands the importance of agriculture to Virginia’s economy,” McDonnell said in a statement. "Virginia’s farms don’t just grow food; they also provide critically important jobs and revenue for our Commonwealth. I want an aggressive, experienced leader to head up the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. It is a crucial agency to the future prosperity of our state."

Lohr, 38, was elected to his third term last November. McDonnell will set a special election to fill his seat in the Republican-leaning district when Lohr resigns. He will start his new job May 1.

Lohr, a farmer, will replace Todd Haymore, who McDonnell promoted to secretary of agriculture and forestry.

"I have been passionate about agriculture my entire life and have enjoyed being an advocate for it, whether it’s through my work on the family farm or from my seat in the House of Delegates,” Lohr said. "I look forward to continuing those efforts."

Virginia Politics Blog – McDonnell appoints Lohr agriculture commissioner

Drought puts Big Isle and Maui on federal disaster list – Hawaii News – Starbulletin.com

Published on December 12, 2009 in General Ag News and Notes.

By Helen Altonn
POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Dec 12, 2009

Hawaii and Maui counties have been designated primary natural disaster areas because of losses caused by drought this year, U.S. Department of Agriculture officials announced.

"President Obama and I understand these conditions caused severe damage to these areas and serious harm to farms in Hawaii, and we want to help," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "This action will provide help to hundreds of farmers who suffered significant production losses to warm season grasses."

Some parts of Hawaii had a lot of rain the past month, but it fell mainly in places that do not have serious drought conditions, says Kevin Kodama, senior service hydrologist at the Honolulu Forecast Office.

DROUGHT IN THE ISLANDS

Hawaii County
» Extreme drought: South Kohala
» Severe drought: Kau, North and South Kona
» Moderate drought: Lower Kona slopes (Honaunau to Kalaoa)
Maui County
» Severe drought: Central and West Maui, West Molokai
» Moderate drought: East Molokai, Lanai

Source: National Weather Service

Portions of the Big Island did not receive much rain, and they are still hurting from drought, said the National Weather Service meteorologist.

Hawaii’s wet season is from October through April, but Kodama and Jim Weyman, meteorologist-in-charge of the Honolulu Forecast Office, said in October it would be drier-than-normal from mid-December through April because of El Nino conditions.

An El Nino is a weather phenomenon in the equatorial Pacific with unusually warm sea surface temperatures that affect climate worldwide.

The Big Island’s South Kohala district had the sixth consecutive month of extreme drought in November, Kodama said. Some improvement occurred with rain in the early part of the month — from extreme drought to severe drought, he said.

Then it got windy, and farm agents said the winds "dried things out quick," Kodama said.

That window of opportunity to pull out of the drought is closing, he said.

Climate models have been pretty consistent in predicting drier-than-nomal conditions through the spring, Kodama said.

Continue reading ‘Drought puts Big Isle and Maui on federal disaster list – Hawaii News – Starbulletin.com’

Local growers benefit from farm-to-table concept – Pacific Business News

Published on October 13, 2009 in General Ag News and Notes.

Kai Market’s “living wall” of herbs and spices is so popular that chefs at other Sheraton Waikiki restaurants have been known to pinch from it when in need.
The living wall is a vertical grid of mint, basil, rosemary and other plants growing under warm lights and hydrated by a hidden watering system. Kai Market has three living walls — one by the restaurant’s entrance and two by the buffet line.

The walls, created by Greg and Terry Lee of First Look Exteriors in Waipio Gentry, have helped make Kai Market a popular draw since it opened Aug. 7. The breakfasts are attracting 600 patrons a day, while dinners bring in about 100.

Sheraton General Manager Kelly Sanders got the idea for Kai Market after a visit to Hawaii’s Plantation Village in Waipahu. Trips to the Bishop Museum and Maui sugar cane fields followed.

Working with the Hawaii Farm Bureau and Armstrong Produce, Sheraton helped persuade the state Legislature to enact Act 9 this year. The law established a Department of Agriculture pilot program to encourage farmers to form ag cooperatives with hotels and restaurants and to develop a safe food-certification process.

Sanders said only 10 percent of Hawaii’s approximately 300 farmers are certified for farm-to-plate sales. A $140,000 appropriation in Act 9 will help other farmers get certification.

Continue reading ‘Local growers benefit from farm-to-table concept – Pacific Business News’

Farmers outraged » Honolulu Weekly

Published on September 16, 2009 in General Ag News and Notes.

A meeting at the State Capitol last Thursday drew testimony from dozens of people concerned about how planned layoffs of more than 50 state agricultural inspectors will impact Hawaii’s export industry.
A few testimonies came from specialists and elected officials–Hilo Mayor Billy Kenoi called the move a “serious mistake.” Most comments came from small-business owners from the neighbor islands who, in language ranging from anger to desperation, expressed alarm about what the cuts will do to their livelihoods.

Continue reading ‘Farmers outraged » Honolulu Weekly’

East Bay Express – Shoddy Science

Published on September 15, 2009 in General Ag News and Notes.

Shoddy Science

A national panel criticizes the USDA’s scientific research on the light brown apple moth but affirms the agency’s power to start another round of aerial spraying.

As expected, a panel from the National Academy of Sciences said on Monday that the government has the legal authority to embark on a massive new eradication effort against the light brown apple moth, thereby opening the door for another round of aerial pesticide spraying. But the panel also criticized the United States Department of Agriculture for engaging in shoddy science to substantiate its war on the moth.

The 21-page report came in response to petitions submitted by opponents of the government’s extermination plans. They had asked the USDA to reclassify the light brown apple moth from being a major pest to one that could be easily controlled by farmers. Such a move would have prohibited aerial spraying or other major eradication efforts that the government is now planning.

Opponents believe the USDA and state officials have severely overstated the threats posed by the moth, and have noted that it has lived for more than one hundred years in Australia, New Zealand, and Hawaii without causing serious, sustained damage to crops or native plants and trees. The USDA, nonetheless, believes the moth will destroy large swaths of cropland throughout California and much of the southern United States. The agency also considers it a serious threat to native redwood and pine forests.

Continue reading ‘East Bay Express – Shoddy Science’

The efforts to produce Macadamia Nuts in Brazil

Published on September 11, 2009 in General Ag News and Notes and Macadamia Nuts.

by Dan Vallada – FoodBizDaily.com Sao Paulo
The macadamia nut has been cultivated in Brazil for four decades. Researchers are trying to increase its productivity and resistance.

The commercial cultivation of macadamia nuts in Brazil is recent, started only 40 years ago and productivity is still low. The country, the seventh in world production (2,400 tonnes in 7 thousand hectares), has about 250 producers, 160 of them in the State of Sao Paulo. The biggest Brazilian harvest happened in 2006, with 3,500 tons. Therefore, technicians and researchers are joining forces to study its varieties, nutrition, genetic improvement and phytosanitary control.

Continue reading ‘The efforts to produce Macadamia Nuts in Brazil’

Lawrence Berkeley Lab gets $1.8M for government energy efficiency – San Francisco Business Times

Published on September 10, 2009 in General Ag News and Notes.

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory will help the federal government save energy with expert help paid for by $1.8 million in stimulus funding.
The grants — most of them from the Department of Energy’s Federal Energy Management Program — will be spent on advice and assistance to various federal agencies about how to use energy-efficient heating, ventilation and air conditioning.

The Department of Defense chipped in $445,000 of the $1.8 million.

Arun Majumdar, who runs the lab’s Environmental Energy Technologies Division, said the money will be spent on “advanced energy assessment tools” to help the agencies improve energy use “for years to come.”

Specifically, this money will pay for help to:

Federal data centers for the DOE, the U.S. Marine Corps and the military’s Pacific Command in Hawaii.

Continue reading ‘Lawrence Berkeley Lab gets $1.8M for government energy efficiency – San Francisco Business Times’

Pacific Rim Summit to Highlight Biotechnology Tools for the Green Economy | Reuters

Published on September 10, 2009 in General Ag News and Notes.

WASHINGTON–(Business Wire)– Developing and developed countries across the Pacific Rim are adopting biotech solutions to cut greenhouse gas emissions, efficiently utilize resources, and jumpstart economic growth. The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) today announced the sessions and speaker presentations to be delivered at the 2009 Pacific Rim Summit on Industrial Biotechnology and Bioenergy, to be held Nov. 8-11, 2009 in Honolulu.
Continue reading ‘Pacific Rim Summit to Highlight Biotechnology Tools for the Green Economy | Reuters’

Federal aquaculture grants being made available to Hawaii farmers | San Francisco Examiner

Published on September 10, 2009 in Agriculture Grants and General Ag News and Notes.

HONOLULU — Aquaculture farmers in Hawaii are now able apply for federal stimulus money to help offset high feed prices experienced by the industry last year.

The state Department of Agriculture said Wednesday that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has allocated $150,000 as Hawaii’s portion of $50 million feed stimulus funding.

The Hawaii grants are being administered through the state department’s Aquaculture Development Program.

State officials say reimbursement amounts are limited to available funds. That means if the amount of eligible applications exceeds the grant amount available, recipients will receive a prorata adjusted amount.

Federal aquaculture grants being made available to Hawaii farmers | San Francisco Examiner

Industry fights for inspectors – Starbulletin.com

Published on September 8, 2009 in General Ag News and Notes.

Agricultural groups fear state layoffs will backlog shipments

By Erika Engle
POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Sep 08, 2009

Agricultural industry executives worry that Hawaii businesses will wither on the vine and incoming food will rot on the docks if the state goes through with massive layoffs of agriculture inspectors.

Plans call for laying off 50 of the state’s 78 agriculture inspectors, 64 percent of that specialized work force.

Diminished inspection capacity could also cost hundreds of millions of dollars each year if additional invasive species get established, industry officials say.

State inspectors both certify products to be exported out of Hawaii and inspect food and plants being imported into the state.

Continue reading ‘Industry fights for inspectors – Starbulletin.com’

Agricultural inspector layoffs slammed – The Maui News

Published on September 5, 2009 in General Ag News and Notes.

KAHULUI – Environmentalists and farmers lashed out Thursday night at the announced layoffs of state agricultural inspectors, arguing that the move planned by the Lingle administration would uproot efforts to preserve the island’s agricultural industry and pristine environment.
Close to 100 people turned out at a Senate Ad Hoc Committee meeting held in the Maui Waena Intermediate School cafeteria. The crowd applauded those who spoke against the layoffs, some even attacking Gov. Linda Lingle.

Continue reading ‘Agricultural inspector layoffs slammed – The Maui News’

County of Hawaii Issues: Emergency Senate Hearing on Dept. of Agriculture layoffs.

Published on September 3, 2009 in General Ag News and Notes.

From Jeffrey Parker and Masako Cordray Westcott of the Hawaii Agriculture & Conservation Coalition

Emergency Senate Hearing on the Dept of Agriculture layoffs – please testimony today!

Thursday, Sept 3rd, 5-9pm, Maui Waena School, 795 Onehee Ave, Kahului

governor.lingle@hawaii.gov

reps@capitol.hawaii.gov

sens@capitol.hawaii.gov

Sample Testimony

Continue reading ‘County of Hawaii Issues: Emergency Senate Hearing on Dept. of Agriculture layoffs.’

Ag inspector layoff impacts topic of talk – The Maui News

Published on September 3, 2009 in General Ag News and Notes.

KAHULUI – The Hawaii State Senate Ad Hoc Committee will hold an informational briefing today on how the layoffs of agricultural inspectors will impact Maui.

Coordinated by Maui Sens. Roz Baker, J. Kalani English and Shan Tsutsui, the meeting will be held from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Maui Waena Intermediate School.

The Maui office of the state Department of Agriculture Plant Quarantine Branch would lose six of 17 positions in layoffs planned for November. Statewide, more than half the department’s agricultural inspectors would be cut.

The head of the Plant Quarantine Branch said last week that the layoffs could mean long delays for imports into the state and could make Hawaii vulnerable to invasive pests.

Similar briefings were held in Kona, Hilo and Honolulu.

County/In Brief – Mauinews.com | News, Sports, Jobs, Visitor’s Information – The Maui News

Philippines: Banana exports to US seen by next year

Published on September 1, 2009 in General Ag News and Notes.

This is a terrible time to start importing foreign bananas due to the proposed layoffs of agricultural inspectors. The domestic crop could easily be devastated by invasive pests including banana rasp snail, red palm mite, two-spotted mite, banana root borer, banana aphid and the mealybug.

Philippines: Banana exports to US [HAWAII] seen by next year

Local banana producers will likely be able to export fresh bananas to the United States starting next year, an Agriculture official said yesterday.

"I am optimistic that the process in exporting [bananas] would be fast because the banana industry is organized," Joel S. Rudinas, director of the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), told reporters.

"Right now we are in the comment period [proposing procedures to the US Department of Agriculture, or USDA]…until maybe end of August or September," he said, adding that the US banana market is worth over $100 million.

Manila asked Washington in December 2005 to allow fresh banana exports to the US mainland, and followed this request with another in September 2007 to export the same commodity to Hawaii, Guam and the Northern Marianas Islands.

Philippines: Banana exports to US seen by next year