Rodney Haraguchi and his family are taro farmers. Haraguchi is also the president of Kauai’s Taro Growers, and he appeared before the County Council last Wednesday to talk taro – specifically – the state of taro on Kaua`i. “Taro farming
Rodney Haraguchi and his family are taro farmers.
Haraguchi is also the
president of Kauai’s Taro Growers, and he appeared before the County Council
last Wednesday to talk taro – specifically – the state of taro on
Kaua`i.
“Taro farming has been around Kaua`i, especially in the valleys,
for a very long time, for thousands of years,” Haraguchi said. “It all goes in
cycles. From taro to rice and now back to taro.”
In Hanalei, where his WT
farm Inc. is located, “at one time we were in sugar and now we’re all going
back to taro,” Haraguchi said.
He pointed out that taro production is up 15
percent in the past two years statewide.
“It’s not only poi, but a lot of
new products,” Haraguchi noted, mentioning poi bagels as an example.
“It’s
a luxury that we can expand into new products that are hopefully more
acceptable to consumers,” he added.
Of course, Haraguchi made it plain,
taro farming isn’t an easy ride to the bank. One nemesis of the taro farmers is
the apple snail.
“That’s one of the biggest challenges we have. One single
snail, with a 100 percent survival rate, can turn into 42 million snails,” he
noted.
But Haraguchi closed his presentation to the council on an up note.
He said the fourth biennial Kaua`i Taro Festival is coming up again next week
(Oct. 23-28).
Events include a dinner featuring local chefs whipping up
their favorite taro dishes, plus an art show and entertainment in the
Princeville Hotel Grand Ballroom on Monday.
There’s also a day of fun and
taro-filled activities at Wai`oli Park in Hanalei next Saturday from 10 a.m. to
5:30 p.m., he said.
Staff writer Dennis Wilken can be reached at
245-3681 (ext. 252) and dwilken@pulitzer.net
