Tag: hawaii

October 4, 2007 General Ag News and Notes Post a Comment

Hawaii Monthly Livestock Review

Here is the PDF file for the *Hawaii Monthly Livestock Review *Report.

lvstk100207.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 MONTHLY LIVESTOCK REVIEW” reports are available on our website 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.

Hawaii Monthly Livestock Review

August Egg Production Down 17 Percent From A Year Ago
Hawaii egg production totaled 6.8 million (18,889 cases) in August 2007, down 17 percent from August 2006. The average number of layers on hand during August 2007 was estimated at 368,000, down fractionally from July 2007 and down 14 percent from August 2006. The average rate of lay during August 2007 was 1,848 per 100 layers (59.6 percent rate of lay), down 3 percent from August 2006.

August Cattle Marketings Up 12 Percent From 2006
Total cattle marketings for August 2007 is estimated at 3,800 head, up 12 percent from August 2006. Cumulative cattle marketings for the first eight months of 2007 totaled 35,500 head, down 2 percent from the same period a year ago.

August exports up 13 percent from a year ago
Exports of steers and heifers totaled 2,700 head in August 2007, up 13 percent from a year ago. Exports of steers totaled 1,100 head during August 2007, down 31 percent compared to a year ago. Total export of heifers increased in August 2007 to 1,600 head, double the amount of heifers exported a year ago. Cumulative exports of steers and heifers through August 2007 totaled 28,100 head, down 3 percent from the same period a year ago. Cumulative exports of steers for 2007 stands at 15,800 head, down 8 percent from 2006. Exports of heifers were 2 percent ahead of a year ago for the first seven months of 2007 at 12,200 head. Exports of other classes of cattle were not included.

Average live weight tops 430 pounds
The average live weight of steers and heifers exported from Hawaii in August 2007 was 433 pounds, up 4 percent from August 2006?s average live weight of 418 pounds.

Commercial Beef Production Down Fractionally From Year Ago
Hawaii commercial beef production (local slaughter) during August 2007 totaled 609,000 pounds, down fractionally from August 2006. Cumulative beef production (local slaughter) through August 2007 totaled 4.3 million pounds, up 4 percent from a year ago. Commercial kill totaled 1,100 head in August, up 10 percent from August 2006. Average live weight per head was 1,045 pounds in August 2007, down 6 percent from the average live weight per head in August 2006.

Commercial Pork Production Down 11 Percent
Hawaii commercial pork production during August 2007 totaled 298,000 pounds, down 11 percent from August 2006. Cumulative pork production for the first eight months of 2007 totaled 2.3 million pounds, down 10 percent from a year ago. Total hog kill was 1,900 head in August 2007, down 5 percent from a year ago. Average live weight per head was 209 pounds in August 2007, down 7 percent from the 224-pound average a year ago.

Milk Cows and Milk Production

August Milk Production Down 48 Percent From Year Ago
Hawaii?s dairy cows produced 2.5 million pounds of milk in August 2007, down 48 percent from a year ago. Cumulative milk production for the first eight months of 2007 totaled 26.8 million pounds, down 33 percent from the same period in 2006.

August?s Cow Herd Down 36 Percent From Year Ago
Hawaii?s cow herd, both dry and milking, numbered 2,700 head in August 2007, unchanged from July 2007 but down 36 percent from August 2006.

Milk Per Cow Decreases
Average milk per cow is estimated at 940 pounds for August 2007, down 18 percent from last August?s average of 1,145 pounds per cow.

Average Farm Prices

Livestock Farm Prices Generally Higher Than Year-ago Averages

Steers and heifers
The average dress weight farm price for steers and heifers is estimated at $1.00 per pound for August 2007, up half-a-cent from July and a penny per pound higher than a year ago.

Cows
The average dress weight farm price for cows is estimated at 54.0 cents per pound in August 2007, down a penny from July. The August average dress weight farm was identical to that of a year ago.

Market hogs
The average dress weight farm price for market hogs is estimated at $1.25 per pound for August 2007, unchanged from July 2007. Compared to a year ago, the dressed weight for market hogs was down 4.5 cents per pound this August.

Milk
The average farm price for milk was $29.90 per hundredweight during August 2007, unchanged from July 2007. Compared to a year ago, the August 2007 average farm price for milk was $3.50 per hundredweight higher.

Eggs
The average farm price for a dozen eggs was 98.0 cents in August 2007, down 7.0 cents from July 2007. Compared to a year ago, the average farm price for a dozen eggs was up 4.50 cents in August 2007.

Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 4.33 billion pounds in August, up 2 percent from the 4.26 billion pounds produced in August 2006.

Beef production, at 2.45 billion pounds, was slightly above the previous year. Cattle slaughter totaled 3.13 million head, down slightly from August 2006. The average live weight was up 3 pounds from the previous year, at 1,279 pounds.

Veal production totaled 10.3 million pounds, 20 percent below August a year ago. Calf slaughter totaled 65,400 head, down 2 percent from August 2006. The average live weight was down 54 pounds from last year, at 268 pounds.

Pork production totaled 1.85 billion pounds, up 4 percent from the previous year. Hog kill totaled 9.39 million head, up 3 percent from August 2006. The average live weight was up 1 pound from the previous year, at 263 pounds.

Lamb and mutton production, at 14.7 million pounds, was up 1 percent from August 2006. Sheep slaughter totaled 227,500 head, slightly above last year. The average live weight was 129 pounds, unchanged from August a year ago.

U.S. egg production totaled 7.57 billion during August 2007, down 1 percent from last year. Production included 6.44 billion table eggs, and 1.13 billion hatching eggs, of which 1.07 billion were broiler-type and 65 million were egg-type. The total number of layers during August 2007 averaged 339 million, down 1 percent from last year. August egg production per 100 layers was 2,229 eggs, down slightly from August 2006.

All layers in the U.S. on September 1, 2007 totaled 339 million, down 1 percent from last year. The 339 million layers consisted of 281 million layers producing table or market type eggs, 55.9 million layers producing broilertype hatching eggs, and 2.73 million layers producing egg-type hatching eggs. Rate of lay per day on September 1, 2007, averaged 71.7 eggs per 100 layers, down 1 percent from September 1, 2006.

Excerpts from Livestock Slaughter (September 21, 2007) and Chickens and Eggs (September 21, 2007) releases.

Beef/cattle: Weather is still the dominant feature in the cattle/beef industry landscape. Some precipitation fell in the Southwest, Southeast, and Corn Belt, providing some relief for grain and hay crops and pastures. However, hay and other supplemental feeding continues in these areas, and beef cows continue to be sold as a result.

Pork/hogs: The fourth quarter pork export forecast was raised by 60 million pounds, following an announcement by a major U.S. packer of a sales agreement with China, to take place by December 2007. Total U.S. pork exports in 2007 are expected to be 2.97 billion pounds, about 0.8 percent lower than in 2006. U.S. pork exports next year are expected to be almost 3.1 billion pounds, or 3.8 percent above 2007. July 2007 exports to China and Hong Kong, combined, offset year-over-year declines in shipments to major U.S. foreign pork markets. Second-half production is expected to be about 11.1 billion pounds, about 3.4 percent above a year earlier, with live equivalent prices of 51-52 percent lean hogs expected to average between $50 and $51 per cwt in the third quarter, and $45 and $47 per hundredweight (cwt) in the fourth quarter. Commercial pork production next year is expected to be about 22.1 billion pounds, about 100 million pounds larger than forecast last month. The increased production forecast largely reflects revised expectations for U.S. swine imports from Canada, both in the second half of 2007 and in 2008.

Dairy: Domestic demand for dairy products, especially cheese, combined with global demand and tight world supplies, will keep milk and dairy product prices high this year and next. The upturn in milk production will moderate 2008 prices somewhat compared with 2007.

Poultry: Broiler meat production continues to slowly expand. The slow expansion and strengthening exports have allowed prices for most broiler products to remain considerably higher than in the previous year. The generally higher prices are expected to continue through the second half of 2007 and into 2008. Although turkey production and stocks of whole birds have been above a year earlier, prices for whole turkeys are expected to remain higher than the previous year through the third quarter. With a small laying flock and a strong export market, egg prices are expected to range from $1.14 to $1.15 per dozen at the wholesale level in the third quarter and to continue higher than the previous year in the fourth quarter.

September 30, 2007 General Ag News and Notes, Vegtables Post a Comment

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.

September 26, 2007 General Ag News and Notes Post a Comment

HAWAII SUGARCANE ACREAGE & PRODUCTION

FREQUENCY: Monthly, August through December RELEASED: September 25, 2007

Here is the PDF file for the Hawaii Sugar Report.

sugar092507.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

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

U.S. SUGARCANE
Production of sugarcane for sugar and seed in 2007 is forecast at 30.4 million tons, down 4 percent from the August forecast but up 3 percent from 2006. Sugarcane growers intend to harvest 883,500 acres for sugar and seed during the 2007 crop year, down 9,500 acres from the August forecast and 14,600 acres less than last year. Yield is forecast at 34.4 tons per acre, down 0.9 ton from last month but up 1.5 tons from last year. Production is down in Florida and Louisiana from the August forecast due to lower expected yields in Florida and lower expected harvested acres in Louisiana.

U.S. SUGARBEETS
Production is forecast at 30.1 million tons, 1 percent above the August forecast but 12 percent below last year?s production of 34.1 million tons. Growers expect to harvest 1.24 million acres, unchanged from the August forecast but down 5 percent from last year. The yield is forecast at 24.2 tons per acre, up 0.2 ton from last month but down 1.9 tons from the 2006 record high yield. Yields are at or below last year?s level in all States except Colorado, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming.

September 26, 2007 General Ag News and Notes Post a Comment

HAWAII SUGARCANE ACREAGE & PRODUCTION

FREQUENCY: Monthly, August through December RELEASED: September 25, 2007

Here is the PDF file for the Hawaii Sugar Report.

sugar092507.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

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

U.S. SUGARCANE
Production of sugarcane for sugar and seed in 2007 is forecast at 30.4 million tons, down 4 percent from the August forecast but up 3 percent from 2006. Sugarcane growers intend to harvest 883,500 acres for sugar and seed during the 2007 crop year, down 9,500 acres from the August forecast and 14,600 acres less than last year. Yield is forecast at 34.4 tons per acre, down 0.9 ton from last month but up 1.5 tons from last year. Production is down in Florida and Louisiana from the August forecast due to lower expected yields in Florida and lower expected harvested acres in Louisiana.

U.S. SUGARBEETS
Production is forecast at 30.1 million tons, 1 percent above the August forecast but 12 percent below last year?s production of 34.1 million tons. Growers expect to harvest 1.24 million acres, unchanged from the August forecast but down 5 percent from last year. The yield is forecast at 24.2 tons per acre, up 0.2 ton from last month but down 1.9 tons from the 2006 record high yield. Yields are at or below last year?s level in all States except Colorado, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming.

September 24, 2007 Ginger Root, Papaya, Persimmon, 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 *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.

September 20, 2007 Papaya Post a Comment

HAWAII FRUITS ANNUAL SUMMARY

Here is the PDF file for the HAWAII FRUITS ANNUAL SUMMARY Report.

fruit102007.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
————————————————————-

2006 HAWAII FRUIT OUTPUT AND VALUE DECLINE

Hawaii fruit growers harvested 435.2 million pounds of fruit for fresh and processed utilization in 2006, an 11 percent decline from the previous year, according to the USDA, NASS, Hawaii Field Office. Total value fell 3 percent to $101.7 million, with guava, lemon, papaya, pineapple, and the tropical specialty group recording declines in value of sales. Fruit acreage totaled 19,740 acres, a 2 percent decrease from 2005. Harvested area decreased 6 percent to 4,090 acres. Almost continuous rainfall from late February through March contributed to losses in some crops due to soil erosion, flooding, disease outbreaks, and fruit and tree losses. The lengthy rainy period slowed fruit maturation in some crops.

Pineapple, still Hawaii?s largest fruit commodity, represented 70 percent of total fruit acreage and 74 percent of the total fruit value. Total utilized pineapple production fell 11 percent to 376 million pounds. Since records were kept by the Hawaii Field Office, 2006 was the first year fresh market utilization outweighed processed utilization. Also establishing a record was the average farm price. In late 2006, operations ended prematurely for one major company which had previously announced their phase-out of pineapple production.

The state?s papaya producers devoted 2,095 acres toward papaya production, a decrease of 13 percent from the previous year. Harvested area totaled 1,530 acres, 3 percent more than 2005. Papaya output declined 13 percent to 28.7 million pounds while value of sales dropped 2 percent to $11.0 million.

Total banana acreage rose 5 percent in 2006 while harvested acreage increased 2 percent to 1,000 acres. Utilized production was pegged at 20.0 million pounds, 4 percent less than 2005. However, higher average prices helped push total value of sales to $9.8 million, 7 percent higher than the previous year.

Total guava production area declined 14 percent to 575 acres in 2006 while area harvested declined 41 percent to 365 acres. Value of sales declined 7 percent to $1.1 million. Hawaii?s guavas, which are mainly for the processed market, recorded a 2 percent increase in price. However, this was not enough to offset the 9 percent lower output.

Area devoted to tropical specialty fruit totaled 1,240 acres in 2006, 2 percent less than 2005. Area harvested totaled 690 acres, 5 percent lower than the previous year. Hawaii?s growers of tropical specialty fruit produced and sold an estimated 1.45 million pounds of fruit in 2006, relatively unchanged from 2005. Compared with 2005, higher output was registered for longan, lychee, mango, and persimmon. Value of sales was pegged at $2.6 million in 2006, 4 percent lower than 2005.