Tag: MON

February 25, 2008 General Ag News and Notes

State auditor: Molokai water system mismanaged

By CHRIS HAMILTON, Staff Writer
Maui News

WAILUKU ? The state auditor issued a blistering report last week charging the state Department of Agriculture with mismanaging the Molokai Irrigation System while simultaneously allowing it to deteriorate over a period of decades.

The irrigation system is crucial to the island?s agriculture-based economy but draws only about 4 million gallons a day ? less than 10 percent of its projected capacity when it was first planned.

?We found that while the Department of Agriculture inherited a broken system, little has been done to learn about system problems or to create a plan to address them,? state Auditor Marion Higa wrote in her 57-page report. ?The department?s flawed management endangers agriculture in Molokai.?

However, state Agriculture Chairwoman Sandra Kunimoto called most of the report?s criticisms ?overreaching? in a telephone interview Friday.

She said she felt as though the report?s dramatic statements weren?t backed up by the actual details contained within it.

Continue reading
January 28, 2008 Ag Tourism, General Ag News and Notes

Hawaii Ag-Tourism

Here is the PDF file for the *Hawaii Ag-Tourism* Report.

agtour012808.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?s ag-tourism valued at $38.8 million in 2006

The value of Hawaii?s ag-tourism related activities (see definition below) is pegged at $38.8 million for 2006, up 14 percent from the $33.9 million generated in 2003. There were 112 farms statewide that had ag-tourism related income during 2006, a 40 percent decrease from 2003 as fewer agricultural producers in Hawaii have opened-up their operations to visitors to the farm experience through ag-tourism activities. Interest in ag-tourism continues to be strong as 84 farms either are involved in agtourism activities in 2006, or planned to be in the future. The distribution of ag-tourism throughout Hawaii has become more concentrated during the past three years as Hawaii County now accounts for half of the farms with ag-tourism and 34 percent of the total value. Honolulu County had 12 percent of the farms and 37 percent of the total value. Kauai County accounted for 13 percent of the farms and the value was 16 percent of the total. Maui County accounted for 25 percent of the farms and was the only county showing a decline from 2003 with 13 percent of the total value.

Ag-tourism is a commercial enterprise on a working farm conducted for the enjoyment, education, and/or active involvement of the visitor, generating supplemental income for the farm. Activities such as producing and selling products directly from the farm, operating a bed and breakfast, conducting educational farm tours, offering horseback riding, festivals, concerts, and many other on-farm activities qualify as agtourism.

Continue reading
October 30, 2007 Disaster Preparedness, Flowers & Nursery, General Ag News and Notes, Ginger Root, Orchids, Papaya, Persimmon, Vegtables, Watermelon Post a Comment

Disaster Preparedness

Disaster Preparedness
How Prepared is Your Farming Operation?

Maui Extension Office
Monday, November 26, 2007
11 am ? 1:30 pm

Natural disasters, such as droughts, floods, wild fires, hurricanes, pests, and diseases, can cause excessive economic damage to agricultural production. In addition to crop damage, disasters can also affect farm buildings, machinery, animals, irrigation, family members and employees. Disasters along with marketing difficulties can lead to serious downturns in your farm income.

How prepared are you? This workshop is designed to provide you with information on:
1) preparing your operation for a natural disaster and
2) available and affordable crop insurance programs that minimize risk associated with economic losses.
Note: Now that the “Adjusted Gross Revenue” (AGR) insurance is available for 2008, in effect all Hawaii crops can be insured to some degree ? not just bananas, coffee, papayas, macnuts & nursery.

Speakers:
? USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) administers and oversees farm commodity, credit, conservation, disaster and loan programs. These programs are designed to improve the economic stability of the agricultural industry and to help farmers adjust production to meet demand.

? USDA Risk Management Agency Western Regional Office, Davis. USDA RMA helps producers manage their business risks through effective, market-based risk management solutions.

? John Nelson from the Western Center for Risk Management Education (Washington State University) on the new Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) Insurance.

? Dr. Mike Fanning, Executive Vice President, AgriLogic, is a specialist in Agri-Terroism, crop insurance, farm policy analysis, and individual farm risk management.

? Dr. Kent Fleming, an agricultural economist with the University of Hawaii’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR), is an Extension Farm Management Specialist with a focus on risk management education.

The workshop is FREE and lunch (sandwiches or bentos and drinks) will be provided. For more information, visit the website http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/agrisk/ You may also contact Kent Fleming @ 989-3416 or fleming@hawaii.edu or Jan McEwen @ 244-3242 or jmcewen@hawaii.edu

Please call the Maui Extension Office at 244-3242 by November 21, 2007 to register for this seminar.

October 14, 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 October 14, 2007.

current_hi101407.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 were in generally good condition. Soil moisture was adequate. Field activities such as spraying for disease control, leaf trimming, and harvesting were on-going in Pepeekeo and Keaau. Leeward and central fields on Oahu were in good condition with moderate to heavy supplies for the market. Heavy irrigation continued as those fields remained dry. Windward fields were in fair to good condition with light supplies. Overall harvesting on Oahu was expected to be at moderate to heavy levels as the shorter day length and slightly cooler temperatures have slowed ripening. Kauai?s orchards were in fair to good condition. Passing showers provided some valuable soil moisture for most orchards. Spraying for insect infestation was on a regular schedule.

Papayas
Big Island orchards in the lower Puna area were in good to fair condition. Good soil moisture and sunny periods benefited most of the young and new orchards. Young trees in the Pohoiki area were in the seedling to first flower stage of development. Mature trees in adjacent fields had medium to full fruit columns. Mature trees in the lower Opihikao area were in generally good condition with full fruit columns. Isolated orchards in the area had young trees with heavy insect infestation. Spraying for insect control was required. Spraying for weed control was also required in some fields. On Oahu, overall harvesting was at moderate levels with some orchards being reworked for future harvest after being damaged by a wildfire. In other areas of the island, fruit development and ripening were fair to good with cooler temperatures favoring crop progress. Orchards on Kauai continued to make fair to good progress during the week. Pickings continued at moderate to light levels from several fields in active harvest.

Vegetables

Head Cabbage
The Big Island?s Waimea crop was in fair to good condition. Heavy irrigation maintained normal crop progress. Maui?s crop continued to benefit from the cooling growing conditions, even though there has been some noticeable decrease in growth and development for most fields. Insect pressure was moderate to low. Steady planting and harvesting was observed. Overall, the crop was in mostly good condition. On Oahu, insect infestations were light and being controlled by regular spraying. Harvesting will be light.

Sweet corn
Big Hawaii fields made good progress due to sunny weather and beneficial showers providing adequate moisture. Supplies will be for local sales. Windward and central Oahu fields continued to make good progress with the sunny and dry weather during the week along with heavy irrigation. Areas affected by water use restrictions have cut back on planting activities and have experienced decreased yields. Overall supplies will be moderate to heavy.

Dry onion
Maui?s crop made steady progress. Growth and development were good with less heat stress than the previous months. Insect pressure was still present in most fields, but the crop was not adversely affected and rated in fair condition. Planting activity slowed slightly.

Other Crops

Coffee
Kauai?s fields were in good condition due to favorable weather during the week. Mostly sunny days prevailed with beneficial rains keeping the reservoirs supplied for irrigation and providing soil moisture good that ensured normal crop development. Occasional breezy trade winds and rains caused light fruit drop, however, harvesting continued very active with about a month left to the season.

Sugarcane
Sugarcane fields on Kauai were in very good condition for the last week of this season?s harvest. Planting was expected to continue until the end of the year. Favorable weather conditions including rains at the upper elevations kept reservoir levels and ditches supplied which ensured adequate irrigation for good crop progress.

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

Hawaii Monthly Livestock Review

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

lvstk100207.pdf

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

————————————————————-
Contact Information:
Mark E. Hudson, Director
USDA NASS Hawaii Field Office
1421 South King Street
Honolulu, HI 96814-2512

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

“HAWAII MONTHLY LIVESTOCK REVIEW” reports are available on our website and also PRINTED monthly. Subscriptions for PRINTED copies are free to those persons who report agricultural data to NASS (upon request) and available for $4 per year to all others.

Hawaii Monthly Livestock Review

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

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

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

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

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

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

Milk Cows and Milk Production

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

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

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

Average Farm Prices

Livestock Farm Prices Generally Higher Than Year-ago Averages

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

HAWAII SUGARCANE ACREAGE & PRODUCTION

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

Here is the PDF file for the Hawaii Sugar Report.

sugar092507.pdf

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

————————————————————-
USDA NASS Hawaii Field Office
1421 South King Street
Honolulu, HI 96814-2512

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

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

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