Tag: island of hawaii

August 19, 2009 General Ag News and Notes Post a Comment

Kona Coffee

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Greenwell Farms

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Kona coffee is the market name for a variety of coffee (Coffea arabica) cultivated on the slopes of Mount Hualalai and Mauna Loa in the North and South Kona Districts of the Big Island of Hawaii. This coffee has developed a reputation that has made it one of the most expensive and sought-after coffees in the world. Only coffee from the Kona Districts can be legally described as "Kona". The Kona weather pattern of bright sunny mornings, humid rainy afternoons and mild nights creates favorable coffee growing conditions.

There are approximately 800 Kona coffee farms, with an average farm size of less than 5 acres (20,000 m2).

Kona coffee blooms in February and March. Small white flowers cover the tree and are known as Kona Snow. In April, green berries begin to appear on the trees. By late August, red fruit, called "cherry" because of the resemblance of the ripe berry to a cherry fruit, start to ripen for picking. Each tree will be hand-picked several times between August and January, and provides around 20-30 pounds of cherry.

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August 22, 2007 General Ag News and Notes, Vegtables Post a Comment

The Monthly Hawaii Vegetable Report

Here is the PDF file for the *Monthly* *Hawaii Vegetable* Report.

monveg082207.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

Drought-like Conditions Along Leeward Sectors

The month of July continued to experience very warm, sunny conditions. Trade winds persisted mostly at moderate levels during the month. The passing of a weak shear line between July 14 and 16 only intensified these trades. The trade winds were momentarily interrupted with the passing of Tropical Depression Cosme on July 20 and 21. These trade winds provided near to above normal rainfall totals to many windward sectors of the State. Tropical Depression Cosme, on the other hand, provided increased precipitation to the east and southeastern sectors of the Big Island. In general, leeward sectors of all islands continued dry and under drought conditions. This ongoing dry spell along leeward areas has resulted in mandatory water restrictions for agricultural or residential areas of the Waimanalo area of Oahu, upcountry of Maui, and the Hamakua and South Kohala districts of the Big Island. Although some crops have benefited from the hot, dry weather during July, many other crops have suffered; as a result, crop condition was rated only fair.

The expected vegetable acreage for harvest in August when compared with acreage harvested in July was lower for 7 crops, higher for 2 crops, and unchanged for 2 crops. An increase in acreage for harvest is expected from snap beans (+10%) and sweet corn (+61%). A decrease in the acreage for harvest is expected for Chinese cabbage (-8%), head cabbage (-28%), mustard cabbage (-11%), cucumbers (-11%), dry onions (-42%), and romaine (-22%), while the expected acreage for harvest were unchanged for head lettuce, semi-head lettuce.

July Review

Tomato Production Below Year Ago

Chinese cabbage production total 514,000 pounds during July 2007. This was 12 percent below June 2007, but 28 percent above July 2006. The increase in production from a year ago resulted from an increase in yields and acreage for harvest. Crop conditions on the island of Hawaii were mixed as heavy irrigation was necessary to offset the windy, dry, and very warm conditions. Some farmers experienced heat rot losses.

Head cabbage producers produced an estimated 945,000 pounds in July. This was 11 percent and 1 percent below the previous month and a year ago, respectively. The decrease in production was the result of fewer acres available for harvest. Crop yield was below a month earlier, but better than the previous year. When possible, heavy irrigation was necessary to offset the very warm, dry conditions and to keep the crop in fair condition. Insect infestations were becoming a problem in some fields along with the production of smaller and lighter heads.

Cucumbers growers harvested an estimated 438,000 pounds in July. This was 14 percent and 20 percent below June 2007 and July 2006, respectively. The decline in production resulted from lower yields which was the result of the moderate winds and dry conditions.

Tomato growers produced an estimated 1.3 million pounds in July. This was 13 percent and 22 percent below June 2007 and July 2006, respectively. Although the very warm, dry conditions during July helped to maintain the tomato crop in fair to good condition, the decrease in production from the previous month can be attributed to lower yields.

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.

May 29, 2007 General Ag News and Notes, Papaya, Vegtables

Hawaii Weekly Crop Weather Report

Here is the PDF file for the *Hawaii Crop Weather* (crop progress and condition) Report for the week ending *May 27, 2007*

current_hi-052907.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
Orchards in eastern sections of the island of Hawaii were in fair to good condition. Mostly dry conditions slowed crop progress as soil moisture was slowly depleted. Spraying was required to minimize Black Leaf Streak damage. Oahu orchards were in fair to good condition. Fields in windward locations were in fair condition maintaining light to moderate harvesting as the Banana Bunchy Top virus continued to keep production down. Leeward and central fields continued to make good progress, but were also slowed by light Banana Bunchy Top virus damage. Irrigation levels remained at moderate to heavy levels during the week due to the dry days. Fruit development and ripening continued to make good progress with the sunny days and warmer temperatures.

Papaya
On the Big Island, depleting soil moisture and sunny days kept orchards in fair condition. Crop progress of younger orchards was slowed by the hot and dry conditions. Spraying was active for insect, disease, and weed control. Orchards on Kauai continued to make fair to good progress during the week. Spraying to contain insect populations continued on a regular schedule and kept infestations manageable.

Vegetables

Head Cabbage
The Big Island?s Waimea crop was in generally good condition. Harvesting of medium size heads was in progress. New plantings made good progress with heavy irrigation. Insect and disease damage was generally light. Weeds were a problem in isolated fields. Maui?s crop continued to progress well despite the warming growing conditions. Overall, the head cabbage crop was in fair to good condition. Insect pressure increased in growing areas and affected lower elevation fields more than the higher elevation fields. Increased irrigation was necessary to minimize stress and allow for continued steady growth. Insect damage was under control in most fields. Planting and harvesting activity was uninterrupted. On Oahu, mealy bugs, Ring Spot virus, and wild pigs were reportedly keeping production lower than anticipated.

Dry Onions
Maui?s crop was in good condition. Weather conditions have been beneficial for the dry onion crop. Growth and development has been good. Average yields have improved mainly due to decreased losses to field defects and increased average bulb size. Active planting and harvesting is expected to continue at a steady rate.

Miscellaneous

Coffee
In the Kona Districts of the Big Island, coffee orchards had berries n the green stage of development. Coffee orchards on Kauai made fair progress with some fields not receiving irrigation due to low reservoir levels. Light passing showers at week?s end provided little or no relief for the parched fields.

May 23, 2007 General Ag News and Notes, Ginger Root, Papaya, Vegtables

Hawaii Crop Weather

Here is the PDF file for the *Hawaii Crop Weather* (crop progress and condition) Report for the week ending *May 21, 2007*

current_hi052207.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
Banana orchards in windward sections of Hawaii Island continued to make good progress. Soil moisture was adequate. Sunny and warm conditions benefited fruit and orchard growth. Disease incidences have remained stable. Banana Bunchy Top incidences remain isolated in the Puna and Kona areas. Oahu orchards were in fair to good condition. Fields in windward Oahu were in fair condition with light to moderate harvesting as Banana Bunchy Top virus continued to keep production down. Leeward and central Oahu fields continued to make fair to good progress and were also slowed by Banana Bunchy Top damage. Irrigation levels remained at moderate to heavy levels during the week due to the relatively dry weather. Fruit development and ripening continued to make good progress with the sunny days and warmer temperatures. Kauai?s orchards were in fair to good condition.

Papaya
Orchards in the lower Puna area of the Big Island were in good to fair condition. Light showers helped to provide some soil moisture. However, more showers are needed. In the lower Kapoho area, large orchards had trees that were too tall for commercial harvest. Recently planted orchards made slower progress due to the dry conditions. Spraying for weed and disease control was on-going. Orchards on Kauai continued to make fair to good progress during the week. Spraying to contain insect populations continued on a regular schedule and was keeping infestations manageable.

Vegetables

Head Cabbage
The Big Island?s Waimea crop was in generally good to fair condition. Medium-sized heads were harvested. Hot and dry conditions required heavy irrigation. Insect and disease damage was generally light. The Maui head cabbage crop continued to make steady progress. Warmer growing conditions have increased crop growth and development, but it has also encouraged increased insect pressure in the major growing areas. Borders of fields were drying out and insects and wildlife were feeding on irrigated fields. So far, losses have been kept to a minimum, but it may become increasingly more difficult to control with the warmer months approaching. Overall, Maui?s head cabbage crop was in fair condition. On Oahu, new plants were in good condition. Insect infestations were at light levels and mostly under control.

Sweet Corn
The Big Island?s young crop made steady progress. Sunny days and adequate soil moisture benefited crop growth. On Oahu, beneficial weather conditions allowed plants to make good progress and boost market supplies from central Oahu fields. Windward fields made good progress during the week and are expected to continue with moderate harvesting.

Dry Onions
Maui?s dry onion crop continued to benefit from the current weather conditions. The long days and warm temperatures encouraged good growth and development especially for maturing fields. Yields were good and are expected to be steady for several weeks. The lack of rainfall has reduced the occurrence of quality defects in the field. Developing fields were showing good steady progress. Overall, the dry onion crop was in fair to good condition.

Miscellaneous

Ginger Root
Plantings in the eastern sections of the island of Hawaii made steady progress. Sunny and warm days benefited crop growth. Light showers provided just enough moisture to sustain growth.

May 15, 2007 General Ag News and Notes, Ginger Root, Papaya, Vegtables

Hawaii Weekly Crop Weather Report

Here is the PDF file for the *Hawaii Crop Weather* (crop progress and condition) Report for the week ending *May 13, 2007*

current_hi-0515a07.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
Big Island orchards in eastern sections were in generally good condition. Sunny days and adequate soil moisture benefited fruit and orchard development. Younger stalks made good progress. Oahu orchards were in fair to good condition. Fields in windward areas were in fair condition as Banana Bunchy Top virus continued to keep production down. Leeward and central Oahu fields continued to make fair to good progress also hindered by Banana Bunchy Top virus damage. Irrigation levels remained at moderate to heavy levels during the week due to the windy and dry weather. Fruit development and ripening continued to make good progress with the sunny days and warmer temperatures. Kauai?s orchards were in fair to good condition.

Papaya
Favorable weather conditions are beneficial for orchard progress in the lower Puna area of the Big Island. Orchards in the Kapoho and Pohoiki area were in generally good condition. Spraying was ongoing for weed and disease control. Orchards on Kauai continued to make fair to good progress during the week. Spraying to contain insect populations continued on a regular schedule.

Vegetables

Chinese Cabbage
The Big Island?s Waimea crop made good progress with heavy irrigation. Insect and disease damage was generally light due to timely spraying. The crop was in generally good condition.

Head Cabbage
On the island of Hawaii, fields in Waimea were in good to fair condition. The quality of the harvested heads was fair due to weeds and warmer temperatures. Insect and disease damage was generally light. New plantings made good progress with heavy irrigation. On Maui, the head cabbage crop continued to show good growth and development during the week. Warm growing conditions in the Upcountry area allowed for the average head size to increase and development within the fields to be more uniform. However, the warm weather was also conducive for increasing insect populations. Increased irrigation was necessary for most fields, especially in the lower elevation areas. The clear weather has allowed for normal field activities to occur. Overall, the head cabbage crop was in fair to good condition. Central area fields on Oahu were in mostly good condition. Insect infestation was at light levels and mostly under control.

Sweet Corn
Adequate soil moisture and sunny days favored growth in east Hawaii fields. Overall crop conditions ranged from fair to good. Beneficial weather conditions allowed plants to make good progress in central Oahu fields. Ear worm infestation was light and under control. Windward fields made good progress during the week. Semi-head (Manoa) Lettuce Planting and harvesting remained steady on Oahu. Light to moderate insect infestation and damage to plants continued to lower yields. Spraying to control insects was active.

Dry Onions
Maui?s crop continued to show good growth and development during the week. Fields, at the various stages of development, benefited from this weeks? weather. Newly transplanted fields may have been stressed due the warm sunny days. Maturing fields showed good growth over the passed couple of weeks. Good yields are expected mainly due to increased bulb size and decreased occurrence quality defects. Overall, Maui?s dry onion crop was in good condition.

Miscellaneous

Ginger Root
Crop progress is good on the Big Island. Adequate soil moisture and sunny days benefited young ginger growth in East Hawaii fields.