Tag: kauai

September 13, 2007 Flowers & Nursery, General Ag News and Notes, Orchids Post a Comment

Hawaii Flowers & Nursery Products

Here is the PDF file for the Hawaii Flowers & Nursery Products report.

flower091307.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 FLOWERS & NURSERY PRODUCTS” 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.

HAWAII FLOWERS & NURSERY PRODUCTS Annual Summary
Release: September 10, 2007

2006 FLORICULTURE AND NURSERY PRODUCTS NEAR RECORD

Hawaii?s floriculture and nursery products is estimated at $100.7 million for 2006. This is near the previous year?s record high and continues as the top contributor to diversified agriculture according to the USDA, NASS, Hawaii Field Office. Some commodity groups experienced increases while others had decreases in 2006. Cut flowers totaled $14.1 million, up 1 percent. Cut and potted orchids were valued at $22.2 million, nearly unchanged from last year. Lei flowers pegged at $3.5 million was 6 percent lower. Foliage sales were 7 percent less, registering at $18.1 million. Potted flowering plants were 1 percent above 2005 and valued at $6.4 million. Landscape plants were estimated at $20.9 million, almost unchanged from last year. Plant rentals increased 4 percent and totaled $5.1 million. Other nursery products jumped 14 percent, registering $5.8 million. Bedding and garden plants wholesale value, at $3.3 million, was 11 percent higher than 2005.

STATE SUMMARY

COUNTY RANKINGS:
Hawaii County, with $51.9 million in sales, ranked number one in 2006. Honolulu farmers registered sales at $33.5 million, 3 percent more than 2005. Maui County sales totaled $12.3 million, 3 percent above last year. Kauai sales, pegged at $2.9 million, were 8 percent below 2005.

COUNTY SUMMARIES

HAWAII COUNTY LEADS IN SALES
Hawaii County growers of flowers and nursery products accounted for 52 percent of the State?s total wholesale value of flowers and nursery products in 2006. Hawaii County?s 410 growers rang up sales of $51.9 million, 3 percent less than the $53.4 million in 2005. Honolulu?s 250 producers accounted for 33 percent of the State?s total wholesale value of flowers and nursery products. Honolulu farmers reported sales of $33.5 million, 3 percent above 2005. Maui County?s 195 producers generated $12.3 million in sales, 3 percent more than a year ago. Kauai?s 75 producers registered $2.9 million in sales, 8 percent less than 2005.

OUT-OF-STATE SALES

OUT-OF-STATE SALES TOTALED $49.0 MILLION

The value of out-of-State sales of flowers and nursery products (including wholesale and retail sales) during 2006 was estimated at $49.0 million. Values in this table are not comparable to values shown in the majority of other tables throughout this release. The value of out-of-State sales represents the dollar received at the point the commodity leaves the State. Thus, the product contains retail and wholesale sales and may include multiple transactions by the time it leaves the State.

Potted foliage, valued at $11.6 million, remained the number one floriculture and nursery product exported. Other potted orchids followed second with $9.3 million in value. Cut anthurium exports contributed $7.1 million, up 14 percent from 2005. Potted dendrobium orchids ranked fourth in out-of-State sales with $3.8 million, declining 13 percent from 2005.

DENDROBIUM ORCHID SALES DOWN 10 PERCENT
In 2006, dendrobium orchid sales were valued at $8.8 million, 10 percent lower than 2005. Potted in bud/bloom contributed $5.7 million, declining 3 percent from last year. Cut sprays registered $2.5 million in sales, down 19 percent from the previous year. Sales of individual blossoms fell 10 percent to $532,000.

DENDROBIUM PRODUCTION AREA 9 PERCENT LOWER
The combined production area for dendrobium cut sprays and in bud/bloom pots totaled 5.2 million square feet, 9 percent lower than 2005. Production area reported by growers includes newly planted, as well as established acreage; thus, year-to-year yield comparisons calculated using area and sales may be misleading.

Area utilized for cut sprays totaled 2.8 million square feet, 16 percent below 2005. Production area for potted in bud/bloom totaled 2.4 million square feet, increasing 2 percent from the previous year.

September 13, 2007 Flowers & Nursery, General Ag News and Notes, Orchids Post a Comment

Hawaii Flowers & Nursery Products

Here is the PDF file for the Hawaii Flowers & Nursery Products report.

flower091307.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 FLOWERS & NURSERY PRODUCTS” 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.

HAWAII FLOWERS & NURSERY PRODUCTS Annual Summary
Release: September 10, 2007

2006 FLORICULTURE AND NURSERY PRODUCTS NEAR RECORD

Hawaii?s floriculture and nursery products is estimated at $100.7 million for 2006. This is near the previous year?s record high and continues as the top contributor to diversified agriculture according to the USDA, NASS, Hawaii Field Office. Some commodity groups experienced increases while others had decreases in 2006. Cut flowers totaled $14.1 million, up 1 percent. Cut and potted orchids were valued at $22.2 million, nearly unchanged from last year. Lei flowers pegged at $3.5 million was 6 percent lower. Foliage sales were 7 percent less, registering at $18.1 million. Potted flowering plants were 1 percent above 2005 and valued at $6.4 million. Landscape plants were estimated at $20.9 million, almost unchanged from last year. Plant rentals increased 4 percent and totaled $5.1 million. Other nursery products jumped 14 percent, registering $5.8 million. Bedding and garden plants wholesale value, at $3.3 million, was 11 percent higher than 2005.

STATE SUMMARY

COUNTY RANKINGS:
Hawaii County, with $51.9 million in sales, ranked number one in 2006. Honolulu farmers registered sales at $33.5 million, 3 percent more than 2005. Maui County sales totaled $12.3 million, 3 percent above last year. Kauai sales, pegged at $2.9 million, were 8 percent below 2005.

COUNTY SUMMARIES

HAWAII COUNTY LEADS IN SALES
Hawaii County growers of flowers and nursery products accounted for 52 percent of the State?s total wholesale value of flowers and nursery products in 2006. Hawaii County?s 410 growers rang up sales of $51.9 million, 3 percent less than the $53.4 million in 2005. Honolulu?s 250 producers accounted for 33 percent of the State?s total wholesale value of flowers and nursery products. Honolulu farmers reported sales of $33.5 million, 3 percent above 2005. Maui County?s 195 producers generated $12.3 million in sales, 3 percent more than a year ago. Kauai?s 75 producers registered $2.9 million in sales, 8 percent less than 2005.

OUT-OF-STATE SALES

OUT-OF-STATE SALES TOTALED $49.0 MILLION

The value of out-of-State sales of flowers and nursery products (including wholesale and retail sales) during 2006 was estimated at $49.0 million. Values in this table are not comparable to values shown in the majority of other tables throughout this release. The value of out-of-State sales represents the dollar received at the point the commodity leaves the State. Thus, the product contains retail and wholesale sales and may include multiple transactions by the time it leaves the State.

Potted foliage, valued at $11.6 million, remained the number one floriculture and nursery product exported. Other potted orchids followed second with $9.3 million in value. Cut anthurium exports contributed $7.1 million, up 14 percent from 2005. Potted dendrobium orchids ranked fourth in out-of-State sales with $3.8 million, declining 13 percent from 2005.

DENDROBIUM ORCHID SALES DOWN 10 PERCENT
In 2006, dendrobium orchid sales were valued at $8.8 million, 10 percent lower than 2005. Potted in bud/bloom contributed $5.7 million, declining 3 percent from last year. Cut sprays registered $2.5 million in sales, down 19 percent from the previous year. Sales of individual blossoms fell 10 percent to $532,000.

DENDROBIUM PRODUCTION AREA 9 PERCENT LOWER
The combined production area for dendrobium cut sprays and in bud/bloom pots totaled 5.2 million square feet, 9 percent lower than 2005. Production area reported by growers includes newly planted, as well as established acreage; thus, year-to-year yield comparisons calculated using area and sales may be misleading.

Area utilized for cut sprays totaled 2.8 million square feet, 16 percent below 2005. Production area for potted in bud/bloom totaled 2.4 million square feet, increasing 2 percent from the previous year.

September 9, 2007 Ginger Root, 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 September 9, 2007.

current_hi090907.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 located in the windward areas of the Big Island were in generally good condition. Adequate soil moisture combined with sunny and warm days provided good conditions for orchard progress. Young plantings in the Pepeekeo and Keaau areas made good progress. Spraying was required to minimize Black Leaf Streak disease incidences. Oahu orchards were in fair to good condition. Leeward and central Oahu fields remained in active harvest with heavy supplies. Heavy irrigation continued as fields remained dry. Orchards on Kauai were in fair to good condition. Spraying for insect infestation was on a regular schedule.

Papayas
Orchards in the lower Puna district of the Big Island made good progress during the week. Sunny days and adequate soil moisture were beneficial. Seedlings sprouted from newly planted fields in Pohoiki. Spraying for disease and weed control was on going. Overall harvesting on Oahu was reduced by fire damaged fields that were in active harvest. In other areas, fruit development and ripening were fair to good. High temperatures slowed crop progress. Mealy bugs were mostly under control while ring spot virus and wild pig damage continued to lower harvesting in some fields. Kauai?s orchards continued to make good to fair progress during the week. Pickings were at moderate levels from several fields in harvest. New fields entering active harvest provided a boost to available supplies.

Vegetables

Head Cabbage
The Big Island?s Waimea crop was in generally good condition. Medium-sized heads were harvested. Heavy irrigation was maintaining normal crop progress. The Volcano crop was in fair condition as dry conditions and cooler temperatures slowed the progress of non-irrigated plantings. Volcano supplies were for the local markets. Maui?s crop continued to make relatively steady progress. Evening temperatures have been notably cooler in the Kula area. Insect pressure continued range from high to moderate, with most operations being able to manage insect damage. However, some operations have reported a high amount of losses due to insect damage over the past couple of weeks. Overall, the Maui head cabbage crop was in fair condition.

Dry Onion
On Maui, most fields have been planted for the fall harvest and are reportedly doing well. A few additional fields may be planted this month for the late fall/early winter harvest. Overall the dry onion crop was in fair condition.

Sweet Corn
Windward and central Oahu fields continued to make good progress. Sunny and dry weather during the week proved improved growing and field conditions. Areas affected by water use restrictions have resulted in a cutback on planting activities and have experienced decreased yields. Big Island plantings made good progress due to adequate soil moisture and sunny weather. Harvest was active and crop quality was generally good.

Other Crops

Coffee
Coffee harvesting was in progress in the Kona districts of the Big Island. Orchards on Kauai were in good condition with increased harvesting forecast to continue this coming week as fruit ripening was steady. Sunny days and light to moderate winds have kept fields dry allowing for good harvesting. Rains at the upper elevations during the weekend boosted reservoir levels which allowed adequate irrigation for all trees.

Ginger root
The young ginger crop on the Big Island made favorable progress during the week. Sunny weather and adequate soil moisture benefited root development.

September 2, 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* September 2, 2007*.

current_hi090207.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. Growth in young orchards got a boost from the warm, sunny weather and adequate soil moisture. Banana Bunchy Top virus incidences remained isolated in the Puna and Kona areas. Oahu orchards were in fair to good condition. Fields in windward areas remained in fair condition. Leeward and central fields remained in active harvest with heavy supplies. Irrigation was heavy. Orchards on Kauai 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. Mostly sunny skies with scattered showers helped young trees. Papaya Ringspot Virus still plagued many fields, but spray activities were active in other fields and appeared to keep aphid populations in check. Harvesting on Oahu was reduced by fire-damaged fields that were previously in active harvest. In other areas, fruit development and ripening were fair to good with the high temperatures slowing crop progress. Mealy bugs were mostly under control while Ringspot virus and wild pig damage lowered yields in some fields. Orchards on Kauai continued to make fair to good progress during the week. Pickings were at moderate levels from several fields with some new fields in active harvest boosting available supplies.

Vegetables

Head Cabbage
The Big Island?s Waimea crop was in fair to good condition. Light insect damage on outer leaves was noticed. Irrigation helped to keep crop progress normal, but warm conditions affected head quality. The crop in Volcano was in fair to good condition. Maui?s crop continued to make steady progress. Hot growing conditions were proving to be challenging for the crop and producers who have been trying to minimize stress and damage by insects. Overall, insect pressure throughout the growing area continued to increase. However, insect damage varied by location. Most producers are expected to continue their steady plantings with some planning to increase plantings slightly to compensate for slower growth and lower yields in the months ahead.

Dry Onion
Maui?s crop continued to make slow progress. Weather conditions made it difficult for the crop to achieve high yields and good quality. Some operations maintained good yields and relatively good quality, but most fields experienced lower yields mainly due to reduced bulb size. There was a slight improvement in the overall condition of the dry onion crop during the past couple of weeks. Planting for the fall harvest was active.

Sweet Corn
Windward Oahu fields made good progress with the sunny and dry weather during the week. Harvesting was very active with increasing pickings. Restricted water use slowed plantings and production in fields dependent on reservoir sources for irrigation. Central Oahu crops were in fair to good condition with light corn ear worm problems. Corn fields in the windward areas of the Big Island benefited from the recent mixture of rain and the warm sunny conditions. Adequate soil moisture facilitated higher germination rates and improved ear development. Planting and harvest were steady.

August 26, 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 26, 2007*.

current_hi082607.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. Warm sunny conditions provided a boost to growth of both young and established mats. Fields in windward Oahu remained in fair condition maintaining light to moderate harvesting. Leeward and central fields were in active harvest with heavy supplies. Irrigation was being maintained at a heavy rate. On Kauai, orchards were in fair to good condition. Spraying for insect infestation was on a regular schedule.

Papayas
Orchards in the lower areas of the Big Island?s Puna District experienced ideal conditions for crop progress. Light showers mixed with mostly sunny skies and warm temperatures boosted growth of young orchards and kept flowering steady in mature orchards. Overall fruit development was good. On Oahu, fruit development and ripening were fair to good with the warm temperatures slowing crop progress. Mealy bugs were mostly under control while Ring Spot virus and wild pig damage lowered harvesting in some fields. Last week?s wildfire on Oahu?s North Shore caused some orchards to burn as well as damaging some irrigation systems. Orchards on Kauai continued to make fair to good progress during the week. Pickings were at moderate levels from several fields with some new fields boosting available supplies. Vegetables

Chinese Cabbage
The Waimea crop on the Big Island was in fair to good condition. Dry conditions in Lalamilo required heavy irrigation for normal crop progress. Disease and insect damage were generally light. Warm temperatures boosted weed populations in any fields.

Head Cabbage
Heavy irrigation was needed for Waimea farms on the Big Island. Spray schedules kept insect pressure down. Overall crop conditions were fair to good condition. The Volcano crop showed improvement due to added soil moisture and sunny skies.

Sweet Corn
Windward Oahu fields made good progress with the sunny and dry weather during the week. Harvesting was very active with increasing pickings. Restricted water use has slowed plantings and production in fields dependent on reservoirs. Central Oahu crops were in fair to good condition with light corn ear worm problems. Showers in eastern sections of Hawaii Island kept soil moisture adequate and improved germination rates. Sunny skies helped boost plant growth and ear development.

Other Crops

Coffee
Big Island orchards in the Puna and Kona Districts generally received adequate rainfall for cherry development and flowering. Ka`u orchards were drier but made fair progress. Kauai orchards were in good condition with harvesting slated to begin this coming week. Sunny days and drying winds have increased irrigation needs. Water supplies were adequate for current irrigation needs. Of growing concern are decreasing reservoir levels while rainfall has been too light to sustain or raise the levels.

August 12, 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 12, 2007*.

current_hi081207.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

Soil moisture in eastern areas of the Big Island was adequate but starting to decrease with the low rainfall. Warmer temperatures boosted growth and the crop was in fair to good condition. Banana Bunchy Top virus incidence remained isolated in the Puna and Kona areas. Oahu orchards were in fair to good condition. Fields in windward Oahu remained in fair condition. Leeward and central fields remained in active harvest with heavy supplies. Heavy irrigation, sunny days, and warm temperatures aided growth. Fields dependent on reservoir water have cut back on irrigation due to water restrictions and conservation efforts. On Kauai, orchards were in fair to good condition. Spraying for insect infestation was on a regular schedule. Controlling the wild pig population, and damage to the crop, was a continuing challenge.

Papayas

Big Island orchards were in fair to good condition. Soil moisture improved slightly due to windward showers. Spray activity was steady in most orchards for insect and weed control. Young orchards were progressing well. Fruit development and ripening were fair to good on Oahu. High temperatures slowed crop progress. Mealy bugs were mostly under control while Ring Spot virus and wild pig damage kept harvesting lower in some fields. Orchards on Kauai continued to make fair to good progress during the week. Pickings were at moderate levels from several fields in harvest with some new fields in active harvest.

Vegetables

Head Cabbage

On the Big Island, irrigation ensured steady crop progress. The quality of harvested heads was fair to good. Overall, the crop was in fair to good condition. Maui?s crop has been able to tolerate the hot growing conditions relatively well. Increased irrigation and periodic afternoon cloudiness has helped the crop to maintain steady progress and good quality heads. Planting continued to be steady. Insect pressure was present, but for most fields damage has been kept to a minimum with timely spraying. Overall, the crop was in fair to good condition.

Sweet Corn

Island wide moderate to heavy supplies were forecast to be available for the market place. On Oahu, isolated windward fields experienced some growing problems and lowerthan- expected yields. Restricted water use slowed plantings in fields dependent on reservoir sources for irrigation. Other fields with bird and wild pig damage also suffered lowerthan- normal yields. Central Oahu crops were in fair to good condition with some corn ear worm pressure. Plantings in the windward area of the Big Island made good progress. Light showers kept soil moisture adequate, and the crop was in fair to good condition. Young plantings made steady progress.

Cucumbers

Overall pickings from Oahu were expected to increase to heavy levels as new fields come into active harvest. Pressure from insect infestation was at moderate levels.

Dry Onions

The crop on Maui continued to make slow but steady progress. Insect pressure remained relatively low and growers were been able control the effect of the feeding by insects in the field. Most fields have been affected by the hot temperatures, and this seems to limit bulb size. Some recently harvested fields had aboveaverage yields mainly due to larger bulb size. Overall, the crop was in fair condition.

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 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.