Tag: agriculture

February 28, 2007 General Ag News and Notes, Vegtables

Hawaii Taro

Hawaii taro production is estimated at 4.5 million pounds in 2006, up 5
percent from 2005?s revised estimate of 4.3 million pounds. Farm prices
increased 6 percent to an average of 57 cents per pound, and value of
sales was estimated at $2.6 million, up 10 percent from 2005.
Weather and pests continue to hamper growers
Taro production was once again hampered by a combination of wet weather
and pests during 2006. The year began drier than normal, but quickly turned
very wet. Heavy rains started to saturate parts of the State by the second
half of January. The northern islands recorded heavy rainfall during
February with record amounts and flooding affecting most the State during
March. The beginning of April finally marked the end of six weeks of heavy
rainfall. The remainder of the year was a mix of drier than normal weather
and occasional periods of heavy rains. Pests also continued to pose a
problem for taro growers. Reports of apple snail (Pomacea canaliculata)
infestations and losses varied from light to heavy. Taro Pocket Rot (TPR), a
disease that forms pockets of rotting tissue in the corm, also continued to
result in some losses.

Click Below for complete pdf report

Hawaii Taro

USDA NASS Hawaii Field Office
http://www.nass.usda.gov/hi/
1421 South King Street
Honolulu, HI 96814-2512
Office: (808) 973-9588 / (800) 804-9514
Fax: (808) 973-2909

February 22, 2007 General Ag News and Notes

Monthly Hawaii Vegtables

Intermittent periods of wet and windy weather interrupted a drier than normal
January. Sporadic periods of southwesterly winds and its associated
precipitation had interfered with the moderate to strong trade winds which
occurred during the first two-thirds of the month. At the end of the month, very
strong southwesterly winds also caused some crop damage. This drier than
normal weather pattern during the winter months resembles patterns
displayed in ?El-Nino like? conditions. Rainfall totals on the island of Kauai for
January were generally below 75 percent of normal. All leeward Oahu sites
and most windward sites recorded rainfall amounts below normal. The
exception occurred around the Punaluu Pump gage, which recorded abovenormal
rainfall due to the heavy rains and flash flooding associated with the
January 8 event. Conditions throughout Maui County were generally dry. The
Big Island of Hawaii experienced mixed conditions as rainfall amounts were
near to above normal levels along the southeasterly quadrant of the island,
while the remainder of the island was drier. This dry weather slowed crop
progress.

Expected vegetable acreage for harvest in February when compared with
acreage harvested in January are expected to increase for Chinese cabbage
(+9%), Head cabbage (+7%), dry onions (+67%), green onions (+60%),
and romaine (+40%), while decreases in harvested acreage are expected for
snap beans (-29%), mustard cabbage (-11%), and cucumbers (-3%). The
expected acreage for harvest for the remaining crops were unchanged.

Click the link below for the full PDF article:

monveg1.pdf

USDA NASS Hawaii Field Office
http://www.nass.usda.gov/hi/
1421 South King Street
Honolulu, HI 96814-2512
Office: (808) 973-9588 / (800) 804-9514
Fax: (808) 973-2909?

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February 10, 2007 General Ag News and Notes

Hawaii Pineapples

PINEAPPLE OUTPUT & VALUE DECLINE IN 2006

Hawaii pineapple utilization is estimated at 188,000 tons for 2006, declining 11 percent from the 2005 total of 212,000 tons, according to the USDA, NASS, Hawaii Field Office. Fresh sales pegged at 99,000 tons, falling 7 percent from the 2005 total of 106,000 tons. Processed utilization at 89,000 tons, dropped 16 percent below the 106,000 tons produced in 2005. Acreage totaled 13,900 acres, decreasing 100 acres from 2005.

The equivalent farm value for 2006 pineapple crop is estimated at $75.5 million, down 5 percent from $79.3 million in 2005. The farmgate price of pineapple utilized as processed fruit averaged $148 a ton, unchanged from a year ago. Fresh market sales averaged $630 a ton, 5 percent above the 2005 price.

A large operation made public its intentions to stop planting pineapples in Hawaii last February and had expected to continue until 2008 but ended its operation in 2006.

usda-hi-fruits

Here is the full *Hawaii Pineapples* Report–PDF file:

pine.pdf

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

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USDA NASS
1421 South King Street
Honolulu, HI 96814-2512