Hawaii Crop Weather Weekly Report

Here is the PDF file for the Hawaii Crop Weather (crop progress and condition) Report for the week ending September 30, 2007.
Please visit the website for more information: http://www.nass.usda.gov/hi/

current_hi093007.pdf

USDA NASS Hawaii Field Office
1421 South King Street
Honolulu, HI 96814-2512
1-800- 804-9514

Agricultural Highlights

Fruits

Bananas
Light showers and some sunny periods benefited orchards in the windward areas of the Big Island. Soil moisture was ample and harvesting was active. Oahu orchards were in fair to good condition. Leeward and central Oahu fields were in good condition with heavy to moderate supplies for the market. Heavy irrigation continued as fields remained dry. Windward Oahu fields were in fair to good condition with light to moderate supplies. Overall harvesting on Oahu was expected to be at moderate to heavy levels as the shorter day length and slightly cooler temperatures have slowed ripening. Orchards were in fair to good condition on Kauai. Supplies are expected to be light to moderate, but steady, for on island sales. Spraying for insect infestation was on a regular schedule.

Papayas
Good growing conditions benefited orchard development in the lower Puna areas of the Big Island. Frequent passing showers kept soil moisture adequate. Growers were spraying to try to keep weeds under control. Harvesting in the Opihikao, Pohoiki, and Kapoho areas remained active. Fallowed fields in the Kapoho area were cleared and planting has started. Overall harvesting on Oahu was at moderate levels with some orchards being re-worked for future harvest after being damaged by a wildfire. In other areas, fruit development and ripening were fair to good with the relief from the high temperatures favoring crop progress. Orchards on Kauai continued to make good to fair progress during the week. Pickings were at moderate levels from several fields in harvest with some new fields boosting available supplies.

Vegetables

Head Cabbage
The crop in the Waimea area of Hawaii Island was in fair to good condition. Medium-sized heads were being harvested. Insect and disease damages were generally light. Heavy irrigation was required in the Waimea fields. Growing conditions improved slightly in the Volcano area. Maui?s crop continued to show good progress. However, most fields showed slightly slowed growth and development which was expected for this time of the year. Insect pressure was relatively low, but could increase over the next couple of weeks. Producers were able to control damage and keep losses to a minimum. Plantings have been steady, but the continued shortening of the day length has slowed the rate of growth and development. Overall quality of the crop was good. On Oahu, pressure from Insect infestation was very light.

Cucumbers
Harvesting from Oahu fields was expected to be at heavy levels as several fields were in active harvest. Pressure from insect infestation was light to moderate.

Sweet corn
The Big Island crop was in fair to good condition. Soil moisture was adequate and production will be mainly for on-island consumption. Windward and central Oahu fields continued to make good progress due to sunny skies and heavy irrigation. Areas affected by water use restrictions have cut back on planting activities and have experienced decreased yields.

Dry onion
Maui?s younger fields showed good progress under cooler growing conditions. There were reports of increased insect pressure throughout the growing area which could affect production for older developing fields. Producers were trying to control insect pressure, but it has been challenging. Harvesting has been light. Overall, the dry onion crop was in fair condition. Other Crops

Coffee
Coffee orchards in the upper areas of Kona were in fair to good condition. Soil moisture was adequate. Cherry harvest was in progress. Most of the coffee trees in the Ka?u district have branches full of still green cherries. Harvesting is expected to begin soon. Orchards on Kauai were in good condition with active harvesting anticipated to continue. Sunny days and moderate trade winds kept fields in good condition for harvesting. Beneficial rains in the upper elevations increased the water levels of reservoirs used for irrigation.

Hawaii Weekly Crop Weather Report

Here is the PDF file for the *Hawaii Crop Weather* (crop progress and condition) Report for the week ending *September 23, 2007*.

current_hi092307.pdf

Please visit the website for more information: http://www.nass.usda.gov/hi/

USDA NASS Hawaii Field Office
1421 South King Street
Honolulu, HI 96814-2512
1-800- 804-9514

Agricultural Highlights

Fruits

Bananas
Orchards in eastern sections of the Big Island were in generally good condition. Favorable showers provided good moisture. Spraying and leaf trimming helped to minimize Black Leaf Streak disease incidences. Bunchy Top incidences remained localized in the Puna and Kona districts. Oahu orchards were in fair to good condition. Leeward and central Oahu fields were in good condition with heavy to moderate supplies for the market. Heavy irrigation continued as the fields remained dry. Windward fields were in fair to good condition with light to moderate supplies. Overall harvesting on Oahu was expected to be at moderate to heavy levels as the shorter day length and slightly cooler temperatures have slowed ripening. Kauai?s orchards were in fair to good condition. Spraying for insect infestation was on a regular schedule.

Papayas
Orchards in the lower Puna area of Hawaii County were in good to fair condition. Ample soil moisture and sunny periods helped to boost flowering and fruit development. Field activities such as spraying for disease control and fertilizing were active. Young and new orchards made steady progress. On Oahu, some orchards were re-worked for future harvest after being damaged by a wildfire. In other areas, fruit development and ripening were fair to good with the high temperatures slowing crop progress. Ring spot virus and wild pig damage in some fields lowered yields. Orchards on Kauai continued to make good to fair progress during the week. Pickings were at moderate levels from several fields in harvest with some new fields in active harvest boosting available supplies.

Vegetables

Head Cabbage
The Big Island?s Waimea crop made good progress with heavy irrigation. Young plantings made steady growth. Light production was expected from Volcano fields. Supplies were mainly for the local markets. On Maui, insect pressure in most of the major growing areas has decreased and damage also declined. Weather conditions have cooled and producers noted that this was beneficial for the crop. Relief from the hot daytime temperatures and the cool evening temperatures allowed some improvement in the quality of the crop. Growth and development was steady, but may soon begin to show signs of slowing down as day length begins to shorten. Planting has been steady and production was expected to stay at current levels. The head cabbage crop was in fair to good condition.

Sweet corn
Windward and central Oahu fields continued to make good progress with the sunny, dry weather and heavy irrigation. Areas affected by water use restrictions have cut back on planting activities and have experienced decreased yields. The Big Island?s young corn crop continued to make good progress. Harvesting was active and supplies were for local sales.

Other Crops

Coffee
On Kauai, orchards were in good condition with active harvesting anticipated to continue. Sunny days and moderate trade winds kept fields in good condition for harvesting. Rainfall has been light and reservoir levels continued to decrease causing some concern.

Ginger root
The Big Island?s crop made good growth during the week. Very damp conditions, however, slowed fieldwork.

Persimmon
Maui?s persimmon crop was in good condition. There were some reports of deer entering the field, but so far damage has been minimal. Insect pressure has also been minimal. At the current rate of development, the crop is expected to reach maturity in October with harvesting to begin shortly there after.

Hawaii Agricultural Labor Report

Here is the PDF file for the *Hawaii Agricultural Labor* Report.

aglabor082707.pdf

Please visit the website for more information: http://www.nass.usda.gov/hi/

USDA NASS Hawaii Field Office
1421 South King Street
Honolulu, HI 96814-2512
1-800- 804-9514

Hawaii Agricultural Labor

In Cooperation with the Hawaii Department of Agriculture

Number of hired workers down 10 percent

Hawaii?s agricultural hired work force totaled 6,300 during the July 8-14, 2007 survey week, down 10 percent from a year ago. Diversified agricultural workers accounted for 81 percent of all farm labor and at 5,100 workers, it was down 5 percent from July 2006. Pineapple and sugarcane workers were combined to avoid disclosure of individual operations and totaled 1,200 workers (does not include mill or cannery workers) during the July 8-14, 2007 survey week, down 27 percent from July 2006.

Average wage rate up 7 percent

The average wage paid to all hired workers during the July survey period was a record-high $12.87 per hour, 56 cents higher than July 2006. The combined average wage for field and livestock workers also reached a new record high at $10.89 per hour, up 51 cents from July 2006. Hawaii farms employing from 1 to 9 workers paid an average of $10.90 per hour for all hired workers, while the combined average wage for field and livestock workers was $10.28 an hour.

U.S. hired workers up 1 percent from a year ago

There were 1,205,000 hired workers on the Nation?s farms and ranches during the week of July 8-14, 2007, up 1 percent from a year ago. Of these hired workers, 847,000 workers were hired directly by farm operators. Agricultural service employees on farms and ranches made up the remaining 358,000 workers.

Farm operators paid their hired workers an average wage of $10.04 per hour during the July 2007 reference week, up 32 cents from a year earlier. Field workers received an average of $9.31 per hour, up 38 cents from last July, while livestock workers earned $9.80 per hour compared with $9.49 a year earlier. The field and livestock worker combined wage rate, at $9.44 per hour, was up 37 cents from last year.

The number of hours worked averaged 41.6 hours for hired workers during the survey week, up 1 percent from a year ago.

Source: Farm Labor, August 17, 2007, National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture.

$22 Million Approved For Hawaii Projects

KEY SENATE COMMITTEE APPROVES NEARLY $22 MILLION FOR HAWAII-RELATED AGRICULTURAL INITIATIVES
Projects Include the U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center, Agriculture and Aquaculture Research, Pest Control

Friday, July 20, 2007
For Immediate Release

WASHINGTON ? U.S. Senator Daniel K. Inouye announced today that the Senate Appropriations Committee has approved nearly $22 million for Hawaii-related agricultural projects in Fiscal Year 2008.

?I am especially pleased that my fellow appropriators continue to support the creation of the centralized U.S. Pacific Basin Agriculture Research Center in Hilo by approving $2.5 million for a portion of its second phase of construction, and more than $7.1 million for research by its staffers who are no longer scattered throughout the state, and are now working together in the completed first phase of the facility,? said Senator Inouye, a senior member of the funding panel.

?This facility and its research work benefit not just Hawaii, but all of the United States. At a time when there is heightened concern over the quality of foreign food products entering the United States, the center?s work is consistent with the federal mission to ensure high quality and safe food for consumers. It also ensures a competitive agricultural economy. Moreover, its research supports agriculture in the tropical and subtropical American Pacific, which is generally not available from the U.S. mainland. The challenges our farmers face in our region are far different from those faced by farmers in the temperate zones.?

The funding measure also includes nearly $2.8 million for agriculture pre-clearance quarantine inspections at Neighbor Island airports, and $1.6 million to strengthen Native Hawaiian involvement in agriculture. Projects also include efforts to eliminate or curb agricultural pests.

The Agriculture Appropriations Bill, which was approved by a vote of 29-0 by the Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday, July 19, 2007, now advances to the full Senate for consideration.

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Methods to clean up contaminated soil: Heptachlor Part 3

Molokai Times
By Alexandra Charles
7/19/2007

poison on MolokaiTo restore Molokai’s contaminated soil, University of Hawaii researchers Alton Arakaki and Qing Li, as well as retired Molokai farmer Lonnie Williams, are rooting for a technique called phytoremediation, which consists of growing plants that can naturally accumulate chemicals from soil.

Barbara Zeeb, associate professor of biotechnologies and the environment at the Royal Military College of Canada, said that phytoremediation is “a treatment that shows promise as a safe and cost-effective remediation technology.”

For the past three years, Alton Arakaki, Assistant Extension Agent for the Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences at the University of Hawaii, has been involved in a phytoremediation research project on Molokai that is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Arakaki is testing seven different squash species to determine their effectiveness in extracting heptachlor and heptachlor epoxide from soil. He plans on completing a report of the results by next March.

Many hope phytoremediation will be the answer for acres upon acres of ex-pineapple fields that were contaminated by heptachlor when it was used to kills pests on crops. Such an agricultural practice was commonplace before the Environmental Protection Agency classified heptachlor as a probable carcinogen and before the chemical was banned in the U.S. in 1988.

“Heptachlor is very good at killing insects, which is why it was used so widely,” said Jason White, agricultural scientist at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. “It wasn’t known at the time that it is so persistent and that you find residues of the chemical still around even years after it was banned.”

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http://www.molokaitimes.com/articles/7712135139.asp

Copyright 2007 Molokai Times

The poison in Molokai soil

Molokai Times
By Alexandra Charles
7/12/2007 1:51:39 PM

Heptachlor, a toxic pesticide banned in the U.S. in 1988 and classified as a probable carcinogen by the Environmental Protection Agency, is likely to cause ill effects to human health if exposure to the chemical is in high doses and over a long period of time.

Studies of the pesticides’ effects have been limited to laboratory rodents. When fed high levels of heptachlor over a long period of time, the animals developed liver cancer. Several experts say it is reasonable to assume similar effects will occur in humans who are exposed to a high dose of heptachlor by drinking water or milk, inhaling air, or touching soil contaminated by the chemical.

“Pesticides by their nature are dangerous,” explained farmer Larry Jefts. “They are created to kill stuff or stop its growth.”

He added, “They may not be dangerous to you and me but they may be to some weeds and bugs. We want to be really careful, to follow rules, and to rely on science and not science fiction (when using pesticides on agricultural land).”

Research confirms pineapple companies contaminated the soil when using heptachlor to kill pests on crops. Of major concern is what impact such a regular agricultural practice in Hawaii during the late 1950s and early 1980s has on people today.

A problem arises from land use changes because when new residences are built on agricultural land that was contaminated by pesticides, homeowners are not told about the potential harmful impact to their health.

For instance, after the Hawaiian Homes Act was established in 1920, the federal government put 200,000 acres of Hawaiian land aside for homesteading by Hawaiians with 50 percent or more native blood. In Hoolehua, agricultural lots were established. It is unlikely that homesteaders were informed about what was put into the soil when the land was part of pineapple plantations.

Residents have a variety of suspicions and concerns regarding pesticides like heptachlor. One resident, who wanted to remain anonymous, said the number of infant gravesite markers in the north side of the Maunaloa cemetery took him aback. He pointed out that Maunaloa was once a pineapple town and said it was chilling for him to see how many children did not live more than a few days. Currently, it is difficult to uncover the cause of death for those buried in the cemetery.

The heptachlor-milk connection . . .

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Copyright 2007 Molokai Times

Redefining the Ranch’s Water Transfer Agreement

THE MOLOKAI DISPATCH

Wednesday 7-11-07

In the 1960?s the largest rubber-lined reservoir in the world was built on Molokai supplying Hawaiian Homestead farmers with irrigation water. The massive project tunneled through the island?s main mountain range to brining water from Molokai?s wet north side to the arid plains of Ho`olehua. The project is known as the Molokai Irrigation System (MIS).

In 1975 a water use agreement was formed between the State and developers of the Kaluakoi Hotel. The agreement, still in effect today, allows Molokai Ranch to transport well water from Central Molokai to West Molokai using the MIS.

The current agreement is under scrutiny as a new amendment has been proposed. An upcoming public meeting on Wednesday, July 18 will provide a forum for the details which allow Molokai Ranch the lease of MIS facilities.

The following is an overview of the original agreement and its proposed amendment. Also discussed are concerns of the Molokai Homesteaders and Farmers Alliance, who are advocating a return of the MIS to its intended purpose ? agricultural use.

*The Original Agreement*

In order to supply their development, Kaluakoi planners proposed to lease MIS pipelines. The State believed that by leasing MIS lines to the developers, the people of Molokai would receive profits and revenue beneficial to the island?s economy.

A contract was created that allowed Kaluakoi developers to lease a portion of the MIS for an annual rate of $45,000 during the first 10 years. After that, the amount was to be adjusted in accordance to any increases in the County?s domestic water rates.

In compliance with state regulations, Kaluakoi developers constructed two service connections: one for injecting water into the system, and one for drawing it out.

The developers were permitted to withdraw the equivalent amount of the water they injected. Overall amounts withdrawn could not exceed two million gallons per day.

While the State did agree to provide reasonable maintenance of the system, it also stated that it would not be held ?liable for any interruption, shortage of any loss or damage occasioned thereby.?

In the case of a drought or other emergency conditions, the State reserved the right to prioritize service to MIS consumers over Kaluakoi users. The State also reserved the right to terminate its agreement with Kaluakoi at any time (with a two year notice) if it was determined that ?the capacity of the system is not sufficient to meet the needs of the public for agricultural purposes.?

During the course of the contract, MIS authority was transferred from the Board of Land and Natural Resources to the Department of Agriculture (DOA) (July 1, 1989).

The 20-year contract expired on Dec. 31, 1995 and has since been renewed. When Molokai Ranch acquired the Kaluakoi Resort?s 4,100-acre property in 2001 it also inherited the MIS lease.

Between 1995 and 2006 the contract was extended four times.

*The Current Amendment*

In early 2007 Molokai Ranch and DOA drafted a major amendment to the existing MIS use agreement. The amendment is being discussed and reviewed by community members including: Molokai Homesteaders and Farmers Alliance (MHFA), Molokai Ranch, the MIS board and the Department of Agriculture.

Homesteaders are arguing that the amount withdrawn by MPL be lowered by nearly half. Right now there is a two million gallons per day withdrawal limit which was based on what was thought to be the capacity of the Ranch?s water sources. MHFA points out that this estimate is no longer accurate.

Homesteaders are concerned that the Ranch could use MIS pipelines to transfer water to future developments. The original agreement limited water supply to the Kaluakoi area. The proposed amendment no longer identifies specific locations. Homesteaders want to continue regulating transmitted water to Kaluakoi.

The amendment also suggests that if MIS water should become scarce, the system would have the option of purchasing water from the Ranch?s Well No. 17 supply. But homesteaders disagree. They say purchasing water from the Ranch should never be an option. ?If you need water from [the Ranch], you are mismanaging the MIS,? states a MHFA proposal.

According to the proposed amendment, the Ranch could build its own pipeline from Well No. 17 to the Mahana Pump Station on the west end bypassing MIS facilities altogether. If the Ranch fails to construct the pipeline by 2011, it is stipulated that the current agreement could be extended until 2016.

Homesteaders want the agreement terminated without renewal at the end of the contract. This would force the Ranch off the system within five years. It would allow for the MIS to return to its intended use, servicing Hawaiian homesteaders and farmers.

? 2006 THE MOLOKAI DISPATCH

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Maui Pineapple Company

Maui Pineapple Company, Ltd. (MPC) is a subsidiary of Maui Land & Pineapple Company Ltd. , and is the USA?s largest grower, processor, and shipper of Hawaiian pineapples. MPC is the only producer of Maui-grown pineapples. The company was established in 1909, and is based in Kahului, Maui, Hawaii. It currently cultivates and processes approximately 6,000 acres of two varieties of pineapple: extra-sweet Maui Gold? and Maui Gold Organic pineapple.

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Drought hits Maui, worsens on Big Island

Pacific Business News (Honolulu) – 9:28 AM HAST Wednesday, June 13, 2007
by Howard Dicus

The Maui Department of Water Supply has declared a drought in Upcountry Maui, imposing mandatory water restrictions, while dry conditions are getting worse on the Big Island.

Maui officials Tuesday imposed 10 percent water restrictions on nonagricultural users in Haiku, Haliimaile, Kanaio, Keokea, Kula, Makawao, Olinda, Omaopio, Pukalani, Pulehu, Ulupalakua, and Waiohuli, but gave farmers 30 days grace.

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