Tag: agriculture

June 20, 2007 General Ag News and Notes, Papaya Post a Comment

Hawaii Papayas Report

Here is the PDF file for the Hawaii Papayas Report.
papaya062007.pdf

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

————————————————————-
Contact Information:
Mark E. Hudson, Director
USDA NASS Hawaii Field Office
1421 South King Street
Honolulu, HI 96814-2512

Office: (808) 973-9588 / (800) 804-9514
Fax: (808) 973-2909
————————————————————-

“HAWAII PAPAYAS” reports are available on our website http://www.nass.usda.gov/hi/ and also PRINTED monthly. Subscriptions for PRINTED copies are free to those persons who report agricultural data to NASS (upon request) and available for $4 per year to all others.

MAY FRESH PAPAYA UP FROM LAST YEAR

Hawaii fresh papaya utilization is estimated at 2.1 million pounds for May 2007, down 6 percent from April 2007, but up 18 percent from May 2006. Year-to-date utilization at 11.0 million pounds was 1 percent above the same period last year.

Sunny and dry conditions prevailed in May. Orchards benefited from warm temperatures and longer day lengths. Irrigation was stepped up to replenish low soil moisture levels. Orchards with irrigation made good progress. Fields depending upon natural rainfall, especially plantings grown in porous rocky conditions, experienced slower growth and fruit development. Fungus outbreaks were limited with drier weather. Insects, papaya ringspot virus, and wild pig damage remained concerns for some growers.

Papaya growers are expected to receive an estimated 49.0 cents per pound for fresh fruit in May, 2 percent (1.0 cent) higher than April, but 16 percent lower than (9.0 cents) May a year ago.

June 19, 2007 General Ag News and Notes Post a Comment

Hawaii Guavas Report.

Here is the PDF file for the annual Hawaii Guavas Report.
guava061907.pdf

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

————————————————————-
Contact Information:
Mark E. Hudson, Director
USDA NASS Hawaii Field Office
1421 South King Street
Honolulu, HI 96814-2512

Office: (808) 973-9588 / (800) 804-9514
Fax: (808) 973-2909
————————————————————-

“HAWAII Guavas” reports are available on our website and also PRINTED annually. Subscriptions for PRINTED copies are free to those persons who report agricultural data to NASS (upon request) and available for $2 per year to all others.

2006 GUAVA OUTPUT LOWER

HAWAII?S 2006 UTILIZED GUAVA PRODUCTION WAS PEGGED AT 7.4 MILLION POUNDS, 9 percent lower than 2005, according to USDA, NASS, Hawaii Field Office. Weather conditions were mixed for guava production during 2006. Six weeks of heavy rainfall from late February thru March resulted in slow fruit maturation in many orchards. Field operations were curtailed during the wet weather.

ACREAGE DEVOTED TO GUAVA PRODUCTION TOTALED 575 ACRES, 14 percent less than the previous year. Harvested area was estimated at 365 acres, 41 percent fewer than 2005. The average farm price for fruit utilized mainly for processing was estimated at 14.2 cents per pound, 2 percent (0.3 cent) more than the previous year. Statewide farm value totaled $1.1 million, 7 percent lower than 2005.

U.S. IMPORTS OF SELECTED GUAVA PRODUCTS IN 2006 were mixed from a year ago (see page 4). Guava paste and puree were down 19 percent to 7.7 million pounds (3,514 metric tons). Brazil, accounted for nearly 44 percent of the paste and puree imports.

Prepared or preserved guava imports increased 5 percent from the previous year to 14 million pounds (6,346 metric tons). Ecuador and Dominican Republic supplied over 50 percent of these imports into the U.S.

Imports of guava jam were up 13 percent to 2.0 million pounds (913 metric tons). Costa Rica and Brazil accounted for 79 percent of the guava jam total.

June 18, 2007 General Ag News and Notes, Organic Ag Post a Comment

Organic Agriculture Transition Website Launched

The HowToGoOrganic.com , a web site
for farmers and processors seeking to transition to organic agriculture. The
web site is designed as a clearinghouse of North American resources for
farmers and businesses interested in becoming organic or in creating new
organic enterprises.

In North America, consumer demand for organic
products exceeds the rate of organic production. The new web site will help
encourage further domestic production by assembling in a single online
resource the full range of available information for farmers and producers
transitioning to organic.

“Last year, OTA’s Board President and I decided to respond to our members’
messages that they needed, and could sell, much more domestically grown
organic product. And thus was born the idea to create this clearinghouse of
resources on conversion to organic,” said Caren Wilcox, OTA’s Executive
Director. Transitioning land to organic certification usually takes three
years, and there is much research that each farmer has to undertake.

The site features two “Pathways for Organic,” one for farmers and one for
processors, as well as a regional directory for the United States, and a
searchable North American organic directory. The “Pathways” provide basic
information on the process of going organic with links to key resources
throughout North America. This unique resource is primarily designed for
conventional farmers and processors who want to get started or are
navigating the transition to organic production, but also provides valuable
information for established organic farmers, producers, and processors.

The web site’s regional directories showcase transition resources unique to
specific regions and states. Resource listings in the North American
directory can be searched by topic and subtopic, by type of resource, or by
state. The site also features profiles of farmers and businesses that have
successfully become certified organic or that are working through the
process.
The URL for the web site is
HowToGoOrganic.com.
Banner and box advertising are available for businesses wishing to
promote their products through this unique resource. For information on
advertising terms and rates, contact Beth Fraser at
OTA (413-774-7511, Ext. 27; bfraser@ota.com).

To create the new web site, OTA contracted with Chris Hill Media (principals
Chris Hill and Glenn Hughes), known in agricultural circles for its work on
the NewFarm.org and the Organic Seed Alliance web pages.

The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is the business association representing
the organic agriculture industry in North America. Its nearly 1,600 members
include growers, shippers, processors, certifiers, farmers’ associations,
distributors, importers, exporters, consultants, retailers and others. OTA
encourages global sustainability through promoting and protecting the growth
of diverse organic trade.
_________________________________

Headquarters: P.O. Box 547, Greenfield, MA 01302 USA (413) 774-7511 * fax:
(413)-774-6432 * www.ota.com
Canadian Office: 323 Chapel Street, Ottawa, On K1N 7Z2 * (613) 787-2003
Washington, DC Office: * (202) 338-2900

June 18, 2007 General Ag News and Notes, Papaya, Vegtables Post a Comment

Hawaii Weekly Crop Weather Report

Here is the PDF file for the *Hawaii Crop Weather* (crop progress and condition) Report for the week ending *June 17, 2007*
current_hi061707.pdf
Please visit http://www.nass.usda.gov/hi/ for more information.

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

Agricultural Highlights

Fruits

Banana
Kauai orchards were in good to fair condition. Orchards in windward districts received good overall rains for good soil moisture. Oahu orchards were in fair to good condition. Fields in windward Oahu remained in fair condition maintaining light to moderate harvesting as BBTV continues to affect fields. Leeward and central Oahu fields made good progress with active harvesting. Irrigation levels were bumped up to heavy levels during the week due to the dry days. Soil moisture in East Hawaii orchards increased slightly with light rains occurring over several days early in the week. The crop is in fair to good condition. Field operations remain normal. BBTV incidences remain isolated in the Puna and Kona areas.

Papaya
Hawaii County orchards were in fair to good condition. Soil moisture increased this week due to light daily rainfall. Mostly overcast days with a few sunny periods during the week have been beneficial to crop progress. Harvest and spray activities were active. Oahu harvesting was at moderate levels. Mealy bugs and ring spot virus in some fields kept production lower than expected.

Vegetables

Head Cabbage
Most Maui fields were as well as can be expected considering the hot growing conditions. The heat was creating stressful field conditions especially for the lower elevation areas. The dry landscape has also encouraged wildlife feeding along the borders. Some fields were also showing signs of increased insect pressure. So far, the head cabbage crop has been able to maintain good yield. A timely spraying program has continued to be necessary to minimize loss from insect damage. The crop in Waimea was in generally good condition. Light insect damage on outer leaves was noticed. Irrigation was keeping crop progress about normal. The crop in Volcano welcomed light but steady showers.

Sweet Corn
The young crop in East Hawaii benefited from rain early in the week. Planting has been steady and the harvest is fairly steady. Product was mostly for local sales. Harvesting was active as beneficial weather conditions allowed the plants to make good progress with good market supplies from windward and central Oahu fields. Some reports of light worm damage during the week.

Cucumbers
Pickings from most Oahu fields were at moderate to heavy levels and anticipated to continue increasing as plants remained in active harvest. Melon fly infestation and light pickle worm damage has affected crop yields in some areas during the week. Irrigation levels were heavy as the dry weather continued in most crop growing areas.

Dry Onions
The continuous dry growing conditions have begun to have a detrimental effect on the dry onion crop. The hot field conditions have slowed crop growth and development. Yields are likely to decrease because of the reduced size. The fields that were harvested and marketed a few weeks earlier have supplied the market demand and newly harvested production has not been able to move into the various markets at the same rate as in the past.

June 15, 2007 General Ag News and Notes Post a Comment

HAWAII BANANAS ANNUAL SUMMARY

Here is the PDF file for the annual Hawaii Banana Report.
annban061507.pdf

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

————————————————————-
Contact Information:
Mark E. Hudson, Director
USDA NASS Hawaii Field Office
1421 South King Street
Honolulu, HI 96814-2512

Office: (808) 973-9588 / (800) 804-9514
Fax: (808) 973-2909
————————————————————-

“HAWAII BANANAS” reports are available on our website and also PRINTED annually. Subscriptions for PRINTED copies are free to those persons who report agricultural data to NASS (upon request) and available for $2 per year to all others.

2006 BANANA UTILIZATION DOWN 4 PERCENT
Hawaii?s 2006 banana utilization for fresh market totaled 20.0 million pounds, 4 percent less than 2005, according to USDA, NASS, Hawaii Field Office. Weather for 2006 was mixed for banana production. Six weeks of heavy rainfall from late February thru March resulted in slow fruit maturation in many orchards. Field operations were curtailed during the wet weather. Orchard maintenance and banana bunchy top virus monitoring was an ongoing procedure for growers.

Statewide total banana acreage was estimated at 1,200 acres, 5 percent higher than 2005. Harvested acreage increased 2 percent to 1,000 acres.

Hawaii?s banana producers received an average 49.0 cents per pound for fresh banana in 2006, 12 percent (5.1 cents) more than 2005. Higher average prices helped push the total value of sales to $9.8 million, 7 percent higher than the $9.2 million received in the previous year.

June 10, 2007 General Ag News and Notes, Papaya, Vegtables Post a Comment

Hawaii Weekly Crop Weather Report

Here is the PDF file for the *Hawaii Crop Weather* (crop progress and condition) Report for the week ending *June 10, 2007*

current_hi-061007.pdf

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

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

Weather Review

Weather conditions had a variable effect on agriculture during the week ending Sunday, June 10. High pressure to the north and low pressure to the south resulted in a week of light to moderate trade winds with mostly light, passing showers. Most of the shower activity was limited to the northern islands during the first half of the week and shifted to the southern half of the State during the weekend. These passing showers occurred in windward areas and the higher elevations with some lighter amounts being blown over to the leeward side of the islands. Conditions were particularly dry on the Big Island where temperatures reached new daily highs on Monday and Wednesday. The Mayor of the County of Hawaii declared a State of Emergency on June 5 due to the continuing dry weather. A voluntary 10-percent reduction in water usage was in effect for the districts of North and South Kohala, Hamakua, and Ka`u. A mandatory 25-percent reduction in water usage was in effect for the following specific areas of the Big Island: Waimea Town to Kawaihae, Upper Pa`auilo, and Ahualoa. In addition, the State Department of Agriculture continued to place users of the Honokaa-Paauilo irrigation system under a mandatory 30-percent water conservation notice due to damage sustained from the October 15, 2006 earthquake. Users of the Waimea irrigation system were asked to voluntarily cutback irrigation water usage by 10 percent. Overall, recent weather conditions have had a variable effect on agriculture. Non-irrigated crops, those dependent on natural rainfall, were in fair to poor condition. Crops located in windward areas were faring better than those in the drier leeward areas of the island. Irrigated crops were in fair to good condition. Abundant sunshine and adequate irrigation was ensuring normal growth. Spraying for insects and disease continued on a regular schedule.

Agricultural Highlights

Fruits

Banana
Orchards in eastern sections of the island of Hawaii were in fair to good condition. Mostly sunny days facilitate field operations, but soil moisture was declining. Banana Bunchy Top virus incidences remain isolated in the Puna and Kona areas. Oahu orchards were in fair to good condition. Fields in windward areas remained in fair condition. Banana Bunchy Top virus continued to affect fields. Leeward and central Oahu fields made good progress, but were also slowed by light Banana Bunchy Top virus damage. Irrigation remained at moderate to heavy levels during the week due to the dry days.

Papaya

Big Island orchards were in fair to good condition. Soil moisture decreased and additional rain is needed to raise soil moisture to more satisfactory levels. Mostly sunny days dominated the week, but some light showers were beneficial. Fruit development and ripening were good on Oahu. However, mealy bugs and ring spot virus in some fields kept production lower than anticipated. Orchards on Kauai continued to make fair to good progress during the week. Spraying to contain the insect population was stepped up to contain the increased infestation.

Vegetables

Head Cabbage

The crop in the Big Island?s Waimea area was in generally good condition. Light insect damage on outer leaves was noticed. Irrigation ensured normal crop progress. The Volcano crop was experiencing slow progress due to dry conditions. Maui?s crop continued to make good progress. Warm temperatures stressed some lower elevation fields, but generally those fields were in good condition. Insect pressure and damage was light, but elevated in some fields. Head size was large. On Oahu, insect infestation was at light levels and mostly under control. New plants were in good condition.

Sweet Corn

Young planting in eastern sections of Hawaii County made slow progress. Newly seeded beds have gaps in the rows due to seedlings dying for lack of moisture. Light showers during the week provided some relief. Beneficial weather conditions allowed the plants to make good progress in central Oahu fields. Windward fields made good progress during the week and are expected to be harvested at moderate to heavy levels.

Cucumbers

Pickings from most Oahu fields were at moderate to heavy levels and anticipated to continue increasing as plants were in active harvest. Melon fly infestation and light pickle worm damage has affected crop yields in some areas during the week. Irrigation levels remained heavy as the dry weather continued in most crop growing areas.

Dry Onions

Maui?s crop benefited from the dry weather and regular irrigation. Growth and development was good in most fields, although the warm temperatures have started to detrimentally affect some fields by slowing growth. Quality of harvested bulbs has reportedly been very good.