Many Diverse Crops
Thanks to Hawaii’s mild, year-round climate, it is a fertile place that
sustains many different types of agriculture. Approximately 40 percent
of land on Hawaii is farmland. The state is home to approximately 3,600
crop farms and 1, 100 livestock farms that include cattle, hogs, milk,
eggs and honey. The average agriculture sales per year in Hawaii are
around $357 million dollars.
When most people think about agriculture in Hawaii the crops that come
to mind are sugarcane, pineapple, macadamia nuts and coffee. While these
are very important crops for the islands, there are many other crops
that help sustain Hawaii’s economy. Among these many crops are ginger,
banana, onions, sweet potato, lettuce and seed crops.
History
When the first Westerners came to the Hawaiian Islands in 1778, it was
discovered that the Native Hawaiians had a wide array of food available.
The islands had a good supply of pig, chicken, ginger, kawa, taro, ti,
sugar, banana, coconut, sweet potato and breadfruit.
Between 1790 and 1870, sandalwood and later whaling were both major
parts of Hawaii’s agricultural industry. They are no longer part of
Hawaii’s agricultural industry, but both subjects are rich in history.
Over the next 100 years, the Westerners would bring in many other plants
and animals that would become part of Hawaii’s rich agricultural history.
Sugarcane
Sugarcane was thriving in Hawaii long before Captain Cook came to the
islands in 1778. As early as 1802, people on Lanai were reportedly using
stone rollers to crush the sweet juice from the sugarcane.
It wasn’t until 1834 that the first sugar plantation went up on Kauai.
Ladd & Company was granted the use of 980 acres from King Kamehameha
III for growing and harvesting sugarcane.
Hawaii was the perfect climate for this crop. The industry boomed. By
1959, one out of every twelve people in the work force, was employed
by the sugar industry.
Today, sugar is still being grown in Hawaii. Times have changed, though,
and many processing mills have closed. Most of Hawaii’s sugar is processed,
packaged and marketed out of California.
Many tourists have mistaken the harvesting of sugarcane as a huge field
fire. In Hawaii we call it “burning cane.” When it’s “burning cane”
locals hope for the trade winds to pick up and sweep the smoke and ash
from the islands. During this step of the harvesting, you will probably
see small flecks of black ash covering various parts of the island.
Some people report that their allergies are worse when the cane is burning.
If you have severe allergies or are asthmatic, discuss the possibility
of a negative reaction with your doctor before traveling to areas where
there is a large amount of cane to be harvested.
 Macadamia
Nuts
The macadamia nut tree was brought to Hawaii from Australia in 1882.
For about forty years, they were raised as ornamental trees because
of their beauty. It is now one of the most popular crops to come out
of the Hawaiian Islands.
The first macadamia nut plantation was set up in 1921, but it wasn’t
until the 1950s that the crop actually became profitable. Today, Hawaii
supplies 90 percent of the world’s macadamia nuts through its 700 farms
and eight processing plants.
You will find all types of macadamia nut products during your Hawaii
vacation. The macadamia nut is very versatile. It tastes good roasted
and salted, in candies, on fish and poultry and as an oil.
 Pineapple
It is documented that pineapple was brought to the islands by King Kamehameha
the First’s Spanish advisor, Don Francisco de Paula y Marin in 1813.
However, it is speculated that as early as 1527, pineapples may have
come to the islands when a Spanish ship was wrecked off the South Kona
coast of the Big Island. Many things washed ashore in this wreck – pineapple
may have been one of those things. Pineapple quickly became one of the
largest and most profitable crops on the islands after its 1813 introduction.
In 1898, Alfred W. Eames of California formed what would become Del
Monte Fresh Produce. In 1901, James Drummond Dole formed Dole Hawaiian
Pineapple Company. In 1909, Maui Land and Pineapple was formed. These
three companies would become giants in the pineapple industry. By 1930,
nine million cases of pineapple were exported out of Hawaii by eight
different canneries. In the 1960s, Hawaii was responsible for 80 percent
of the world’s pineapple.
Today, pineapple is still grown in Hawaii, but times have changed. Hawaii
is no longer a profitable place to grow and process pine – there are
much cheaper places to do so. Currently, Hawaii produces only two percent
of the world’s pineapple.
Del Monte Fresh Produce has announced that in 2008, it will cease its
pineapple production in Hawaii leaving only Maui Land and Pine and Dole
to the industry.
Pineapple is the only fresh produce that you can take back to the continental
United States via the airlines from Hawaii.
 Coffee
The first coffee plant was introduced to Hawaii through King Kamehameha
the First’s Spanish advisor in 1813. In 1828, the first coffee tree
was planted in Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii by a missionary. Thus,
the exquisite taste of the coveted cup of Kona coffee had begun.
In the 1930s, coffee became a commercial crop in Hawaii. Today, there
are 715 small coffee farms in the state. Hawaii is the sole U.S. provider
of coffee in the world.
While on vacation, beware of buying coffee marked as “Kona Blends.”
Most of the time, you will only be getting 10 percent of Hawaii coffee
in the bag. While true Kona coffee can be pricey, it really is a rare
treat. Make sure to savor every sip.
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