Tag: loss

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 16, 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 *July 15, 2007*

current_hi071607.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. Warm days and adequate soil moisture benefited crop and fruit development. Field activities such as spraying, removal of leaves and lateral suckers were active. Black Leaf Streak disease incidences were observed in some fields. Oahu orchards were in fair to good condition. Windward fields remained in fair condition. A seasonal upswing kept leeward and central fields in active harvest. Irrigation levels were heavy. Orchards on Kauai were in good to fair condition. The dry weather and controlled irrigation benefited most orchards.

Papayas

On the Big Island, light showers, warm temperatures, and sunny periods benefited fruit development. Younger fields made good growth in the Kapoho area. Fallowed fields in the Opihikao area were being prepared for new plantings. Field operations such as spraying for weeds and disease control, leaf trimming, harvesting were active during the week. Flowering and fruit set were generally good. On Oahu, fruit development and ripening were good due to increased day length and sunny conditions. Mealy bugs were mostly under control while Ring Spot virus lowered production in some fields. Orchards on Kauai continued to make fair to good progress. Spraying to contain insect populations was stepped up during calm weather to contain the increased infestations.

Vegetables

Head Cabbage

In the Big Island?s Lalamilo area, warm temperatures were not favorable for good head development. Warm days combined with irrigation contributed to an increase in disease incidence. New plantings made steady progress with heavy irrigation. Maui?s crop made steady progress despite the hot growing conditions. Increased irrigation was necessary and so far producers have made efficient use of water. Some fields were showing signs of increased stress especially those in the lower elevation areas. Insect pressure has increased slightly, but so far damage has continued to be minimal due to close monitoring and timely spraying by farmers. There have been reports of some losses due to wildlife feeding. Some fields on Oahu were abandoned to control the increasing pressure from the Diamondback moth infestation.

Dry Onions

Maui?s onion crop continued to make fair progress. Warm growing conditions were taking a toll on the crop. Older fields were struggling to develop good bulb size. In some fields, the heat stress has caused the plant to stop growing. Increased irrigation was helpful for some younger fields, but older fields have many factors to consider.

Sweet Corn

Weather conditions in windward sections of the Big Island were generally good for crop progress. On Oahu, harvesting was light after the holiday in July. However, supplies were heavy and new fields coming into production were making good progress. Light worm damage occurred during the week. Isolated fields in windward areas experienced growing problems and lower yields are anticipated from those fields.

July 13, 2007 General Ag News and Notes Post a Comment

Hawaii Macadamia Nuts (Final Season Estimates)

Here is the PDF file for the *Hawaii Macadamia Nuts (Final Season Estimates)* Report.

mac-fin071307.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
————————————————————-

“HAWAII MACADAMIA NUTS” reports are available on our website and also PRINTED twice a year. 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.

Final Season Estimates Higher For 2006-2007 Crop Year
Hawaii?s 2006-07 end-of-season macadamia nut harvest is estimated at 58.0 million pounds net, wet-in-shell, up 4.0 million pounds from last season?s harvest, according to USDA, NASSHawaii Field Office. While not the highest on record, this season?s output matches the previous high set back during the 1997-98 crop year.

Weather for 2006 was mixed. Approximately six weeks of rainfall from late February thru March occurred statewide. For some macadamia nut orchards located in normally drier areas, the rainfall was welcome. However, macadamia nut orchards located in normally wet areas suffered lower output due to disease problems.

Early in the season, one large processor announced it would limit nut purchases from independent growers. Many growers have reported that the lack of an outlet to sell their nuts has been a problem and with lower nut prices, the crop has not been harvested by some growers. Some farmers have reportedly gone into other commodities due to the low prices being paid and the lack of an outlet to sell their nuts. Growers have also related that feral pigs were a problem in some areas. The feral pig problem has increased in some areas; probably due to growers leaving nuts on the ground and providing a food source for pigs which increased survival of offspring, lending itself to more pigs foraging for food.

Crop losses were estimated at 11.0 million pounds or 17 percent of the total crop. Immature nuts ranked as the highest cause of losses at nearly 38 percent followed by koa seed worm damage and moldy or rotten nut losses with 19 percent and 17 percent, respectively. Overall yields averaged 3,867 pounds per acre (net, wet-in-shell), 29 percent higher than the 2005-06 crop year.

Total acreage for 2006-07 decreased 1,300 acres to 17,000 acres while harvested area totaled 15,000 acres, a 3,000 acre decline from last season. The farm price for net, wet in-shell macadamia nuts averaged 67.0 cents per pound, 14.0 cents less than the 2005-06 average.

Crop Losses Measured By Processors Lower

Growers delivered an estimated 65.0 million pounds of macadamia nuts, wet-in-shell, to processors during the 2006-07 season. About 11 percent of the harvest was culled, resulting in 58.0 million pounds net, wet in-shell. The equivalent gross weight of losses, after adjusting for what would be the expected weight before the damage, was 11.0 million pounds, 11 percent less than last season?s revised estimates. Losses from nut immaturity ranked at the top with just under 38 percent of the total losses. Koa seed worm damage was the second most common type of loss at 19 percent, followed by losses from moldy or rotten nuts at 17 percent. Macadamia nut losses shown in this report include only those culled by processors and do not include losses that were culled at the farm before delivery.

U.S Nut Production Up 9 Percent, Value Down 17 Percent

The 2006 U.S nut production is estimated at 1.59 million tons (in-shell basis), 9 percent greater than a year earlier. The almond crop is 953,000 tons, up 23 percent from 2005. Walnut production in 2006, at 346,000 tons, is down 3 percent from the previous year. The pistachio crop is 119,000 tons, 16 percent smaller than 2005. Pecan production in 2006 totals 103,150 tons, a 26 percent drop from 2005. The hazelnut crop, at 43,000 tons, is 56 percent larger than the previous year. Macadamia production is 29,000 tons, up 7 percent.

The 2006 U.S. value of utilized nut production is estimated at 3.45 billion dollars, down 17 percent from the 2005 value. The almond crop is valued at 2.04 billion dollars, 19 percent less than 2005. Walnuts are valued at 554 million dollars, 1 percent less than 2005. Pistachio value for 2006, at 455 million dollars, is 22 percent less than last year. The value of the pecan crop decreased 21 percent to 321 million dollars. Hazelnut value, at 46.4 million dollars, is 25 percent below last year. The macadamia crop is valued at 38.9 million dollars, down 11 percent.

July 12, 2007 General Ag News and Notes Post a Comment

Redefining the Ranch’s Water Transfer Agreement

THE MOLOKAI DISPATCH

Wednesday 7-11-07

In the 1960?s the largest rubber-lined reservoir in the world was built on Molokai supplying Hawaiian Homestead farmers with irrigation water. The massive project tunneled through the island?s main mountain range to brining water from Molokai?s wet north side to the arid plains of Ho`olehua. The project is known as the Molokai Irrigation System (MIS).

In 1975 a water use agreement was formed between the State and developers of the Kaluakoi Hotel. The agreement, still in effect today, allows Molokai Ranch to transport well water from Central Molokai to West Molokai using the MIS.

The current agreement is under scrutiny as a new amendment has been proposed. An upcoming public meeting on Wednesday, July 18 will provide a forum for the details which allow Molokai Ranch the lease of MIS facilities.

The following is an overview of the original agreement and its proposed amendment. Also discussed are concerns of the Molokai Homesteaders and Farmers Alliance, who are advocating a return of the MIS to its intended purpose ? agricultural use.

*The Original Agreement*

In order to supply their development, Kaluakoi planners proposed to lease MIS pipelines. The State believed that by leasing MIS lines to the developers, the people of Molokai would receive profits and revenue beneficial to the island?s economy.

A contract was created that allowed Kaluakoi developers to lease a portion of the MIS for an annual rate of $45,000 during the first 10 years. After that, the amount was to be adjusted in accordance to any increases in the County?s domestic water rates.

In compliance with state regulations, Kaluakoi developers constructed two service connections: one for injecting water into the system, and one for drawing it out.

The developers were permitted to withdraw the equivalent amount of the water they injected. Overall amounts withdrawn could not exceed two million gallons per day.

While the State did agree to provide reasonable maintenance of the system, it also stated that it would not be held ?liable for any interruption, shortage of any loss or damage occasioned thereby.?

In the case of a drought or other emergency conditions, the State reserved the right to prioritize service to MIS consumers over Kaluakoi users. The State also reserved the right to terminate its agreement with Kaluakoi at any time (with a two year notice) if it was determined that ?the capacity of the system is not sufficient to meet the needs of the public for agricultural purposes.?

During the course of the contract, MIS authority was transferred from the Board of Land and Natural Resources to the Department of Agriculture (DOA) (July 1, 1989).

The 20-year contract expired on Dec. 31, 1995 and has since been renewed. When Molokai Ranch acquired the Kaluakoi Resort?s 4,100-acre property in 2001 it also inherited the MIS lease.

Between 1995 and 2006 the contract was extended four times.

*The Current Amendment*

In early 2007 Molokai Ranch and DOA drafted a major amendment to the existing MIS use agreement. The amendment is being discussed and reviewed by community members including: Molokai Homesteaders and Farmers Alliance (MHFA), Molokai Ranch, the MIS board and the Department of Agriculture.

Homesteaders are arguing that the amount withdrawn by MPL be lowered by nearly half. Right now there is a two million gallons per day withdrawal limit which was based on what was thought to be the capacity of the Ranch?s water sources. MHFA points out that this estimate is no longer accurate.

Homesteaders are concerned that the Ranch could use MIS pipelines to transfer water to future developments. The original agreement limited water supply to the Kaluakoi area. The proposed amendment no longer identifies specific locations. Homesteaders want to continue regulating transmitted water to Kaluakoi.

The amendment also suggests that if MIS water should become scarce, the system would have the option of purchasing water from the Ranch?s Well No. 17 supply. But homesteaders disagree. They say purchasing water from the Ranch should never be an option. ?If you need water from [the Ranch], you are mismanaging the MIS,? states a MHFA proposal.

According to the proposed amendment, the Ranch could build its own pipeline from Well No. 17 to the Mahana Pump Station on the west end bypassing MIS facilities altogether. If the Ranch fails to construct the pipeline by 2011, it is stipulated that the current agreement could be extended until 2016.

Homesteaders want the agreement terminated without renewal at the end of the contract. This would force the Ranch off the system within five years. It would allow for the MIS to return to its intended use, servicing Hawaiian homesteaders and farmers.

? 2006 THE MOLOKAI DISPATCH

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July 3, 2007 General Ag News and Notes, Ginger Root, Papaya, Vegtables, Watermelon 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 1, 2007*

current_hi070107.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
Big Island orchards made generally good progress. Soil moisture was adequate. Sunny and warm periods benefited fruit development. Young and newly planted orchards in Pepeekeo made steady progress. Oahu orchards were in fair to good condition. Fields in windward areas remained in fair condition. Leeward and central Oahu fields made good progress. Irrigation levels were at heavy levels during the week due to a lack of rain and gusty winds. Kauai?s orchards were in good to fair condition.

Papayas
Conditions in the lower Puna area of the Big Island were ideal for orchard progress. Daily showers provided sufficient soil moisture. Sunny and warm periods provided a boost to flowering and fruit set. Field activities such as spraying for disease and weed control were active. On Oahu, fruit development and ripening were good with the increased day length and dry weather conditions. Mealy bugs and Ring Spot virus lowered production in some fields. Orchards on Kauai continued to make fair to good progress during the week. Spraying to contain insect populations was stepped up to contain an increase in infestation.

Vegetables

Head Cabbage
The Big Island?s Waimea crop was in fair to good condition. Heavy irrigation was required especially in the Lalamilo area. Routine spraying was controlling insect and disease losses. New plantings made good progress. The Volcano crop was in fair condition. Plantings have increased, but made slower progress due to the dry conditions. New plants were in good condition on Oahu. Insect infestation was at light to moderate levels. Maui?s crop remained in fair to good condition. Insect pressure was higher in the major growing areas, but farmers were closely monitoring conditions to ensure timely spraying.

Dry Onions
Most fields on Maui were developing at a slower rate due to hot and dry conditions. Average bulb size has decreased. Overall, Maui?s crop was in fair condition.

Sweet Corn
On Oahu, favorable weather conditions allowed the plants to make good progress. Some reports of light worm damage were reported during the week. Isolated windward fields experienced some growing problems. Big Island fields were in fair condition. Soil moisture was adequate and resulted in improved growth.

Other Crops

Coffee
The Big Island?s Kona coffee orchards made good progress due to adequate soil moisture levels. Coffee cherries were in the green stage of development. On Kauai, Isolated rains during the week benefited some fields. Showers at the upper elevations kept reservoir levels stable which allowed for good irrigation of all fields. Gusty trade winds were unfavorable for most fields and offset some of the benefits of irrigation.

Ginger Root
Plantings in the windward areas of Hawaii Island made good progress as daily showers raised low soil moisture levels. Sunny periods also helped to boost crop growth.

Sugarcane
Harvesting, planting, and milling activities were active on Kauai during the week. The summer showers which are typically at the upper elevations kept reservoir levels steady and allowed irrigation levels to keep up with the plant?s needs. Some insect infestation was reported with increased vigilance for control.

Watermelons
Harvesting on Oahu was active and supplies for the Fourth of July holiday are anticipated to be heavy.

June 18, 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 17, 2007*
current_hi061707.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
Kauai orchards were in good to fair condition. Orchards in windward districts received good overall rains for good soil moisture. Oahu orchards were in fair to good condition. Fields in windward Oahu remained in fair condition maintaining light to moderate harvesting as BBTV continues to affect fields. Leeward and central Oahu fields made good progress with active harvesting. Irrigation levels were bumped up to heavy levels during the week due to the dry days. Soil moisture in East Hawaii orchards increased slightly with light rains occurring over several days early in the week. The crop is in fair to good condition. Field operations remain normal. BBTV incidences remain isolated in the Puna and Kona areas.

Papaya
Hawaii County orchards were in fair to good condition. Soil moisture increased this week due to light daily rainfall. Mostly overcast days with a few sunny periods during the week have been beneficial to crop progress. Harvest and spray activities were active. Oahu harvesting was at moderate levels. Mealy bugs and ring spot virus in some fields kept production lower than expected.

Vegetables

Head Cabbage
Most Maui fields were as well as can be expected considering the hot growing conditions. The heat was creating stressful field conditions especially for the lower elevation areas. The dry landscape has also encouraged wildlife feeding along the borders. Some fields were also showing signs of increased insect pressure. So far, the head cabbage crop has been able to maintain good yield. A timely spraying program has continued to be necessary to minimize loss from insect damage. The crop in Waimea was in generally good condition. Light insect damage on outer leaves was noticed. Irrigation was keeping crop progress about normal. The crop in Volcano welcomed light but steady showers.

Sweet Corn
The young crop in East Hawaii benefited from rain early in the week. Planting has been steady and the harvest is fairly steady. Product was mostly for local sales. Harvesting was active as beneficial weather conditions allowed the plants to make good progress with good market supplies from windward and central Oahu fields. Some reports of light worm damage during the week.

Cucumbers
Pickings from most Oahu fields were at moderate to heavy levels and anticipated to continue increasing as plants remained in active harvest. Melon fly infestation and light pickle worm damage has affected crop yields in some areas during the week. Irrigation levels were heavy as the dry weather continued in most crop growing areas.

Dry Onions
The continuous dry growing conditions have begun to have a detrimental effect on the dry onion crop. The hot field conditions have slowed crop growth and development. Yields are likely to decrease because of the reduced size. The fields that were harvested and marketed a few weeks earlier have supplied the market demand and newly harvested production has not been able to move into the various markets at the same rate as in the past.