Agriculture is more than profitability, said state Rep. Clift Tsuji during his keynote address at the 2010 Agriculture Conference last week at the Kaua‘i Beach Resort. Tsuji said collaboration, participation and cooperation are important to sustain and build agriculture, addressing
Agriculture is more than profitability, said state Rep. Clift Tsuji during his keynote address at the 2010 Agriculture Conference last week at the Kaua‘i Beach Resort.
Tsuji said collaboration, participation and cooperation are important to sustain and build agriculture, addressing a wide range of people including representatives from Kaua‘i’s most successful agricultural enterprises, land owners, business community leaders, local product producers, agricultural resource personnel, educators, students and sprinkled with chefs.
The first conference coordinated by the Kaua‘i Economic Development Board, Food and Agriculture Committee set about to address findings on its agricultural summit held in July 2009.
During that summit, focus centered on four “irreducible primaries” necessary for the operation of a farm of any size — land and water, human resources, production methods and tools, and marketing.
Jerry Ornellas, the KEDB Food and Ag Committee co-chair, said, “The conclusion we came to is the biggest problem we face is that farmers are not profitable. If farmers were profitable, we could get access to resources like land and water, attract future farmers, afford modern farming techniques and equipment, do value-added products, and afford the financial resources that marketing requires.”
Ornellas pointed out that the site on which the conference was hosted is situated on lands which once were part of his family’s dairy farm.
“The point is not to think about the past, but to consider the present and to move forward,” Ornellas said. “Never again will agriculture play the totally dominant role it did in our past. But, it can play an important role in our future.”
Tsuji said like The Little Red Hen who could not find help to do the work, but had lots of helpers to eat the fruits of her labor, agriculture is everyone’s responsibility and this is the time to help increase Hawai‘i’s food self sufficiency to strengthen and preserve for future generations.
“If we replaced just 10 percent of the food we import, it would create $300 million in economic activity, 2,300 new jobs, and $6 million in taxes,” Tsuji said.
That set the theme of this year’s conference, “Profitability in Agriculture,” a four-part conference emerging from the four major focus points from 2009.
The diverse audience served to bring expertise to the table in answering questions about the past, current challenges and opportunities for the future to improve the profitability quotient.
Terry Sekioka, a panelist with the Human Resources segment, said the first barrier for young people and potential farmers is land followed by getting training.
Sekioka said the third factor is financing and what was relatively obscure in the past, marketing is now a major challenge.
“I’d like to see more farmers and chefs in the same room,” said Ron Miller, chef at the Hukilau Lanai, prompting Randall Francisco, president of the Kaua‘i Chamber of Commerce, to make a note of a future assignment.
Addressing the marketing arena, it was brought to light that the Kaua‘i Grown program is launching during the Kaua‘i County Farm Bureau Fair later this month.
Kaua‘i Grown is a collaborative effort between the Kaua‘i County Farm Bureau and the County of Kaua‘i to promote marketing of Kaua‘i agricultural products with applications being accepted from farmers, producers, retailers and restaurants for their participation.
“If Kaua‘i could achieve a 10 percent overall growth in productivity, then everyone could benefit,” Ornellas said. “The question is how to get there.”
Melissa McFerrin of the Kaua‘i County Farm Bureau said the key message of this conference was the importance of coming together for agriculture.
The County of Kaua‘i, the Kaua‘i Community College, the Kaua‘i County Farm Bureau, the Hawai‘i Small Business Development Center, A&B Foundation, Kaua‘i Coffee Company, American Culinary Federation, Kaua‘i Chapter, the Grove Farm Company, Syngenta Hawai‘i, Pioneer Hi-Bred, BASF Plant Science, DOW AgroSciences, Monsanto, NetAfim, Pacific Service & Development Corp., American Machinery, Wai Engineering, BEI, Growing Greens Nursery, Big Island Association of Nurserymen, Hawai‘i Export Nursery Association and the Hawai‘i Floriculture and Nursery Association were sponsors and supporters of the 2010 Agriculture Conference.
• Dennis Fujimoto, photographer and staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 253) or dfujimoto@kauaipubco.com.
