Tag: hawaii

August 9, 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.

lvstk080907.pdf

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

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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
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“HAWAII MONTHLY LIVESTOCK REVIEW” 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.

Hawaii Monthly Livestock Review

June Egg Production Down 16 Percent From A Year Ago

Hawaii egg production totaled 6.9 million (19,167 cases) in June 2007, down 16 percent from June 2006. The average number of layers on hand during June 2007 was estimated at 368,000, up fractionally from May 2007 and down 17 percent from June 2006. The average rate of lay during June 2007 was 1,875 per 100 layers (62.5 percent rate of lay), up 2 percent from June 2006.

Total Cattle Marketings and Exports

June Cattle Marketings Down 30 Percent From 2006

Total cattle marketings for June 2007 is estimated at 4,000 head, down 30 percent from June 2006. Cumulative cattle marketings for the first six months of 2007 totaled 27,900 head, down 7 percent from the same period a year ago.

Exports down 38 percent from year ago

Exports of steers and heifers totaled 3,000 head in June 2007, down 38 percent from a year ago. Exports of steers totaled 1,800 head during June 2007, down 33 percent compared to a year ago. Total export of heifers also declined in June 2007 compared to a year ago at 1,200 head, a 43 percent decrease. Cumulative exports of steers and heifers through June 2007 totaled 22,500 head, down 9 percent from the same period a year ago. Cumulative exports of steers for 2007 stands at 13,300 head, down 7 percent from 2006. Exports of heifers showed a larger decrease through the first six months of 2007 at 9,200 head or down 12 percent from a year ago. Exports of other classes of cattle were not included.

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August 5, 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 *August 5, 2007*

current_hi080507.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 windward areas of the Big Island were in fair to good condition. Operations remained normal, and harvesting was active. Soil moisture was raised to beneficial levels. The Banana Bunchy Top virus remained isolated in the Puna and Kona areas. Oahu orchards were in fair to good condition. Windward fields remained in fair condition maintaining light to moderate harvesting. Leeward and central Oahu fields were in active harvest with heavy supplies due to the seasonal trend. Irrigation remained at heavy levels during the week because of the dry weather. Fields dependent on reservoir water for irrigation have cutback because of water restrictions and conservation efforts. Kauai?s orchards were in fair to good condition. Spraying for insect infestation was on a regular schedule.

Papayas
Orchards in the Puna area of the Big Island were in fair to good condition. Soil moisture was adequate. Overcast conditions with sunny periods were helping to establish young trees. Young orchards in the lower Puna area made good progress. On Oahu, fruit development and ripening were fair to good. Crop progress was slowed by high temperatures. Mealy bugs were mostly under control. The Ring Spot virus and wild pig damage kept harvesting lower levels in some fields. Orchards on Kauai continued to make fair to good progress during the week.

Vegetables

Head Cabbage
Hawaii County?s Waimea crop was in fair to good condition. Light insect damage on outer leaves was noticed. Irrigation helped to keep crop progress about normal, but warm conditions have slowed the crop a little. The crop in Volcano was in fair to good condition. Maui?s crop continued to make steady progress. Insect pressure in general was low to moderate and producers have continued to minimize damage. Wildlife feeding, mainly by birds, was still being noted along the edges of fields. Overall, the head cabbage crop was in fair condition.

Sweet Corn
Fields on the Big Island benefited from recent trade wind weather. Moderate rainfall improved soil moisture and benefited ear development. Planting and harvest activities were steady. Harvesting was active on Oahu. Isolated windward fields experienced some growing problems and lower than expected yields. Central Oahu crops were in good condition.

Cucumbers
Overall harvesting from most Oahu fields is expected to increase to heavy levels as new fields enter production. Pressure from insect infestation was at moderate levels.

Dry Onions
The crop on Maui continued to struggle through the hot growing conditions. Smaller average bulb size has affected the overall yield, although some fields have produced fairly good size bulbs. Overall, the dry onion crop was progressing as expected for this time of the year. The dry onion crop was currently in marginally fair to fair condition.

July 30, 2007 General Ag News and Notes, Ginger Root, 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 *July 29, 2007*

current_hi072907.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

Vegetables

Head Cabbage

Active harvest is in progress in the Waimea fields. Head sizes ranged from medium to small in the Waimea area of the Big Island. Heavy irrigation maintained normal crop progress. Insect damage was generally light. The Volcano crop was in fair condition. Weather conditions have not been favorable for optimum growth. Maui?s crop continued to show slow but steady progress under hot growing conditions. Producers increased irrigation for their fields, but overall the crop appears to be tolerating the heat well. Insect pressure for the most part has been low to moderate throughout the major growing area with only a few reports of slightly increased pressure being noted. Damage was under control. Losses to the crop were mainly due wildlife feeding as the dry surrounding areas have not been sufficient to support the natural wildlife in the area. Birds, deer, and some domestic animals have entered fields in search of food and water. Plantings have continued, and production is expected to be steady at current levels. Some fields were abandoned on Oahu to control the increasing pressure from the Diamondback moth infestation.

Dry Onions

Maui?s crop continued to show steady progress even though the hot growing conditions have been very challenging for the crop. Average yields were hovering at lower levels for most fields mainly due to smaller bulb size. There have also been increased reports of losses due to wildlife feeding and damage in the fields. Some of these fields will be abandoned. The onion crop was in generally fair to marginally fair condition.

Tomatoes

Young vines in the Big Island?s Waimea area made good progress. The crop was in generally good condition. Vines in Glenwood and Kona greenhouses were in fair to good condition. Young vines had good fruit set.

Other Crops

Coffee

Field in the Kona Districts of the Big Island benefited from convective showers. Orchards on Kauai were in good condition as the berries size up with heavy irrigation applications. Reservoirs were replenished with rains at the upper elevations and water resources are expected to be at adequate levels to bring the crop to harvest. Insect pressure was low.

Ginger Root

Young ginger crop continued to make good progress due to the favorable weather conditions in eastern sections of the County of Hawaii. Sunny and warm weather throughout most of the week and adequate soil moisture benefited root development.

July 30, 2007 Uncategorized Post a Comment

Decisions made with sustainability in mind

The Hot Seat
The Honolulu Advertiser

From politicians to newsmakers to everyday people in the news ? Editorial and Opinion Editor Jeanne Mariani-Belding puts them in the Hot Seat, and lets you ask the questions. So get ready. Let the conversation begin.
Reach Jeanne at jmbelding@honoluluadvertiser.com.

Posted on: July 30, 2007 at 12:02:58 pm

Now on the Hot Seat: Maui Land & Pineapple Co.?s CEO David Cole

Welcome to The Hot Seat! Joining me today is Maui Land & Pineapple Co.?s chairman, president and CEO David Cole.

The closure Maui Land and Pineapple?s canning operation in June marked the end of an era; it was the last canning operation of its kind in the United States. And, as David notes in his commentary in Sunday?s Advertiser, it was also a rite a passage for so many of us here in Hawaii.

David joins us live and will take your questions on his company and the future of agriculture in Hawaii.

With that, let?s chat.

[first question]

Christopher: Can you please explain why Maui Land and Pineapple continues to be a member of the LURF Foundation? Maui Land and Pineapple purports to hold the values of “malama ‘aina, ecology and creating holistic communities.”

With these guiding principles, I have difficulty seeing the association with LURF, which has quietly lobbied against most of the grassroots sustainability issues that have ever come up.

Perhaps with your company’s leadership, you could take LURF in a more modern 21st-century direction?

David Cole: The Land Use Research Foundation has been around since the late ’70s. In recent years, LURF’s focus has become more development-related, although the organization also works with other organizations, such as the Urban Land Institute, Hawai’i Economic Association and the Hawai’i Farm Bureau Federation. One of the goals of LURF is to protect the rights of landowners who are also developers.

As we understand it, LURF has not lobbied, quietly or otherwise, against sustainability issues. In fact, LURF Executive Director David Arakawa has taken a position that is very supportive of sustainability initiatives.

If this not the case, perhaps we should be more engaged in a leadership mode and concentrate more effort another organization?

[last question]

IslandBiz: Aloha, David. I want to say thanks for doing the Hot Seat and talking story with us. I read the article on you recently in Hawaii Business.

Tell us one thing about you that has not been written about that might be surprising, something that would give insight into what kind of a guy you are. Make it a good one!

David Cole: Greetings Islandbiz. My campaign poster for VP of the Associated Students of the University of Hawaii (ASUH) back in the 70’s showed me naked on horseback with the slogan “nothing to hide.”

There you have it!!

CLICK HERE to view the full “Hot Seat” conversation

July 22, 2007 General Ag News and Notes 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 *July 22, 2007*

current_hi072207.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 windward areas of the Big Island made good progress. Soil moisture was adequate. Sunny, warm days aided orchard progress. Disease incidences were minimized by routine spraying. Bunchy Top disease incidences remained isolated in the Puna and Kona areas. Growers were replanting in the Keaau area. Oahu orchards were in fair to good condition. Fields in windward areas remained in fair condition. A seasonal upswing kept leeward and central Oahu fields in active harvest with heavy supplies. Irrigation remained at heavy levels during the week because of dry conditions. Kauai?s orchards were in good condition. The slightly cooler weather and rains provided good soil moisture which benefited most orchards.

Papayas

Orchards in the lower Puna areas of the Big Island made good progress. Mostly sunny and dry weather during the work week reduced soil moisture levels. Increased moisture from the passing storm system helped boost soil moisture. On Oahu, fruit development and ripening were aided by increased day length and mostly sunny conditions. Mealy bugs were mostly under control while Ring Spot virus lowered harvesting in some fields. Orchards on Kauai continued to make fair to good progress during the week. Pickings were at light to moderate levels from several small fields. Spraying to contain the insect population was slowed as the winds and rains picked up.

Vegetables

Head Cabbage

The Big Island?s Waimea crop was in fair to good condition. Heavy irrigation was required for normal crop progress. Routine spraying minimized insect and disease incidences. New plantings made steady progress. The Volcano crop made slower progress. Maui?s crop continued to show fair and steady progress. Increased irrigation was essential for steady growth and development as well as maintaining quality heads. Farmers were minimizing losses from damage by insects by maintaining a steady and effective spraying program. Insect pressure was a concern, but it has been kept under control. Overall, the head cabbage crop was in fair to good condition. On Oahu, some fields were abandoned to control the increasing pressure from a Diamondback moth infestation.

Dry Onions

Maui?s dry onion crop remained in fair condition. The prolonged hot and dry growing conditions have made it very challenging growers to maintain steady growth and development. Increased irrigation has helped some fields, but older fields have already achieved their potential yield. Most of these mature fields will have a greater percentage of medium bulbs. Overall, the dry onion crop was in fair condition.

Sweet Corn

On Oahu, harvesting was expected to be active with heavy supplies reaching the market. Some reports of light worm damage remained during the week. Isolated windward fields experienced some growing problems and lower than expected yields. Sweet corn plantings in windward areas of the Big Island were in generally good to fair condition. Weather conditions were favorable for crop development. Other Crops

Ginger Root

The Big Island crop made good progress during the week. Soil moisture was adequate and replenished over the weekend by Cosme?s rain. Sunny and warm weather throughout most of the week benefited root development.

July 20, 2007 General Ag News and Notes Post a Comment

$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.

CLICK to read complete article