& I found this article interesting....it seems it's worse than I thought--there's a big decline going on in the pineapple industry in Hawaii now. Mostly it's all about cheaper production being the cause. The fields will probably be used for other crops.
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http://gohawaii.about.com/od/oahuhonolulu/a/pineapple_2006a.htmLast Crop Will Be Harvested in 2008
Sugar and Pineapple - those two words used to be synonymous with Hawaii. In a year where Hawaiians of Filipino decent are celebrating their 100th anniversary in the islands, one of the two cash crops which brought them to Hawaii along with immigrants from China and Japan is facing another long-time grower abandoning the islands for cheaper production elsewhere.
Where once sugar cane and pineapple fields were strewn across most of the Hawaiian islands, now you'll find housing developments, resort hotels and condominiums and more often, just barren fields.
Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. announced last week that after 90 years in Hawaii, they will plant their last crop of pineapple on Oahu this month and will cease all operations by 2008 when that crop is harvested. Citing the expense of growing pineapple in Hawaii when it can be produced much cheaper elsewhere in the world, Del Monte's decision will leave about 700 pineapple workers without a job.
Del Monte also cites an inability to secure a long-term lease extension from landowner the Campbell Estate as a reason for their decision, however, this claim is disputed by Campbell Estate Vice President Bert Hatton as reported by KITV - TheHawaiianChannel in a story on February 1, 2006. In that story Hatton said that's surprising because in 2001 Campbell offered Del Monte a lease extension at its current rent structure. He said, "Del Monte declined that offer." Hatton also said that Campbell offered to sell the pineland to Del Monte in three separate proposals, but Del Monte declined all three offers. Del Monte's decision leaves only two companies which grow pineapple in Hawaii - Dole Food Hawaii and Maui Pineapple Co.
History of Hawaiian Pineapple
(snip)
Dole is also the one who is responsible for pineapple production on the island of Lanai, once known as the "Pineapple Island." In 1922, James Dole bought the entire island of Lanai and converted it from a cactus-covered island with 150 people into the largest pineapple plantation in the world with 20,000 pineapple-producing acres and over a thousand pineapple workers and their families. Pineapple production on Lanai ended in October 1992.
Hawaiian Pineapple Production Today
Today, Hawaii's pineapple production does not even rank within the top ten of the world's pineapple producers. Worldwide, the top producers are Thailand (13%), the Philippines (11%) and Brazil (10%). Hawaii produces only about two percent of the world's pineapple. Fewer than 1,200 workers are employed by the pineapple industry in Hawaii.
Del Monte's exit will leave 5,100 acres of Campbell Estate land lying fallow. The Honolulu Star-Bulletin reports that Maui Land and Pineapple Co. is interested in the land, possibly for diversified crops. The future of Hawaii's pineapple industry remains cloudy. Maui Land and Pineapple has, however, had good success with their ventures into the specialty pineapple business with their Hawaiian Gold extra sweet pineapple, Champaka variety, and Maui Organic pineapple.
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