Agriculture on the Big Island (2013, inspector, live)

[Salty Water]

It's been 40 years since I be-boped around the B.I. I was aware of agriculture, coffee and Mac nuts come to mind, but I was surprised to learn that there are almost 1,000,000 acres "under-the-plow" so to speak on the Island of Hawaii.


The most profitable crop is not coffee, or nuts, but........Figs! Who knew. They bring $6-8 per pound, wholesale. Fig Newtons all around!

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

I agree -- who knew? I just searched the internet and couldn't find anything at all about growing figs on the Big Island. In fact, the 2020 State Agriculture Overview prepared by the USDA makes no mention of figs. Since I do live there currently, I think that I would heard something about figs, but nada.

[terracore]

I think they are referencing this 2013 article that mentions figs are the top of the 12 newly introduced crops based on how lucrative. $6-8/pound is certainly better than the 17 cents guava growers get. Note: Guava wouldn't be on the list anyway because it's wouldn't have been one of the 12 crops in comparison.

I don't know what today's fig wholesale rate is, but honestly not a lot of people eat fresh figs so most stores don't carry them.

https://www.hawaiibusiness.com/figs-...ucrative-crop/

According to this list, figs are actually near the bottom, though it has to be inferred because the totals aren't even tabulated individually:

https://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics...cialtiesHI.pdf

Hawaii's top exported crop is Papayas:

https://www.census.gov/foreign-trade...e/data/hi.html

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

Hey, Terracore, I thought that avocados would be high on the list of exports, but that macadamia nuts would be higher. Do you know where they rank?

[whtviper1]

Originally Posted by Dreaming of Hawaii

Hey, Terracore, I thought that avocados would be high on the list of exports, but that macadamia nuts would be higher. Do you know where they rank?

Up until a couple of years ago, avocados were banned to exported/shipped to the mainland.

[Tulemutt]

Originally Posted by whtviper1

Up until a couple of years ago, avocados were banned to exported/shipped to the mainland.

Huh. Reason?

[whtviper1]

Originally Posted by Tulemutt

Huh. Reason?

Fruit fly concerns.

Essentially a 25 year ban resumed in 2018.

So you'd expect them to be low on the export list - people weren't growing them for export - and you have to find a market - and compete with Mexico prices

[Arktikos]

Sharwil avocado the only variety allowed to be exported. It’s one of the best though.

[terracore]

One of the biggest problems with Hawaii exporting anything fresh(ish) is that if goes out on a barge, its going to be destined for California.

California has it's own bans on just about anything getting imported to their state to protect their own agricultural interests. If an inspector finds a single (ant, potential larvae, whatever) the entire shipment has to be destroyed or sent back, so HI-CA exports were ended a long time ago. Since CA is the gateway to the rest of the country, Hawaii AG exports died on that vine when CA decided that is what they were going to do.

[whtviper1]

Originally Posted by terracore

One of the biggest problems with Hawaii exporting anything fresh(ish) is that if goes out on a barge, its going to be destined for California.

California has it's own bans on just about anything getting imported to their state to protect their own agricultural interests.

Correct - using the avocado example - you cannot export avocados to California.