Editor’s note: This is the third article of a five-part series. Upcoming Business editions will include responses from Kaua‘i seed company BASF. Parts one and two covered Pioneer Hi-Bred and Syngenta. Part five will be an overview of the local
Editor’s note: This is the third article of a five-part series. Upcoming Business editions will include responses from Kaua‘i seed company BASF. Parts one and two covered Pioneer Hi-Bred and Syngenta. Part five will be an overview of the local industry with Hawai‘i Crop Improvement Association.
KAUMAKANI — In an attempt to better understand how seed farmers exist in our community, The Garden Island asked local companies’ representatives a series of basic questions.
The following information has been provided by Tom Scagnoli, Kaua‘i site leader for Dow AgroSciences in Kaumakani:
Q: What does your company do?
A: Dow AgroSciences has two operations in Hawai‘i that are involved in all aspects of producing high quality seed corn. Feeding the world’s growing population is of key concern for many nations and Dow AgroSciences produces the seed that serves this critical need.
We grow and harvest seed corn that is utilized by farmers around the world. We also provide innovative solutions including crop protection, pest and vegetation management, and with these services we’ve been successfully catering to the needs of our agricultural community for more than 50 years.
Island farmers have used Dow AgroSciences’ crop protection products on pineapple, sugar cane and diversified agricultural crops, as well as its urban pest products for termite control.
Q: How long has your company has been on island, and why did your company chose Kaua‘i for its operations?
A: Dow AgroSciences has been operating on Kaua‘i since May 2009, and we chose Kaua‘i as the location for several reasons.
Our years of experience in research and development of new products — and as a seed corn producer and marketer — tell us that this particular area of Kaua‘i is ideal for growing several crops, including seed corn.
A favorable year-round climate allows us to deliver high-yield, high-quality seed corn — a sustainable, renewable crop. The long and rich agriculture history of the area, combined with the natural resources that are available on the land, such as water, make this area ideal for corn seed production.
Dow AgroSciences (Mycogen Seeds) has been operating a site on Molokai since 2000. Maintaining the richness of the land and keeping it in agricultural use is a top priority for Dow AgroSciences.
We’ll continue to invest in the future to encourage sustainability on Kaua‘i — in job development, in new business development and in community development.
We’re ensuring the growth and quality of our crop now, and we plan to continue sustaining the same level of quality in the future. What we do here every day is important to delivering new seed to growers around the world and feeding the world’s population.
Q: What parts of the island does Dow’s fields occupy?
A: We operate on the former Gay & Robinson sugarcane farm (west farm) located outside of Hanapepe along with land just west of Lihu‘e (east farm).
Q: How many acres does Dow farm on Kaua‘i?
A: The west farm size is approximately 3,500 acres. The east farm size is approximately 500 acres. Not all acres are in production at the same time. They are designed to alternate throughout the year.
Q: How many employees do you have and how are they comprised?
A: At Dow AgroSciences, we have 29 full-time employees, 21 of whom are skilled farm technicians, seven are managers and one administrative professional. In addition, we have 25 part-time workers and 25 to 50 seasonal employees. These employee numbers will be met or exceeded in the coming years, peaking at least 150 total employees.
Q: What are the top three contributions your company has made to this island?
A: In the short time that Dow AgroSciences has been operating on Kaua‘i, we have been extremely involved in the community. We hope to continue bringing jobs to Kaua‘i, and we work closely with local schools, supporting the annual Science Olympiad, as well as the local and regional science fairs.
We also work with many non-profit organizations. We have made monetary donations to the Aloha ‘Ike Foundation in both 2009 and 2010. We recently made a monetary donation to the Kaua’i Farm Bureau Scholarship fund, which awards scholarships to Kaua‘i High School students who will be pursuing ranching and agricultural industry-related majors in college.
We also donated different types of products to the Koke’e Resource Conservation Program, which is a program helping to restore native vegetation in Koke’e.
Q: What contribution(s) has your company made to the agricultural industry?
A: Dow AgroSciences has made a strong commitment to the community, the island of Kaua‘i and to our employees. We were recently honored as a finalist for the Community Spirit Award from Pacific Business News for our contributions and dedication to the communities we serve.
The award meant a lot to us. We work hard to make sure our positive impact is felt throughout the island and it was a privilege to be honored for those contributions. We also are proud to continue the long-standing tradition of agriculture in this community, both as a way to sustain the land and employ hard working individuals who have been part of farming for their entire lives.
One of our technicians, John Medeiros, recently shared his experience in transitioning from working in the sugarcane industry to working at Dow AgroSciences. After being injured on the job and seeing the sugar companies disappear, he found a home at Dow AgroSciences.
“The pivotal moment for me was seeing the sugar industry dissolve,” John explained. “I looked around at the circle of employees and could see them wiping tears from their eyes and could tell there was a deep connection that was slowly disappearing. Then, getting a job at Dow AgroSciences — all of a sudden it was an uplifting experience. I could see that my position here was part of my recovery. It’s not just a job, it’s a healing adventure for me.”
Q: Who are your three biggest customers?
A: Dow AgroSciences is committed to producing quality products for farm customers all over the world, from Brazil to the U.S., to India and to Europe.
Q: Some residents say one of the issues they have with seed companies is the broad chemical spraying of herbicides and pesticides. What is your response to this?
A: For those of us who work in the fields and live in the community, proper use of pest management tools is a priority. We approach these decisions within a framework called Integrated Pest Management, which involves the use of activities like scouting, pest avoidance and sanitation to minimize necessary activities.
If use of a pesticide is the best tool for a particular job, those products are registered by the U.S. EPA and the State of Hawai‘i only after years of very complicated research to determine what uses are allowed by law. The conditions of use established by the U.S. EPA include significant restrictions to ensure that sensitive environmental and human health concerns are addressed.
Q: What do you say to those who are anti GMO?
A: We understand and respect everyone’s right to convey their opinions about biotechnology and GMO. We only wish to educate the public and dispel myths, so they understand the full global impact that is possible with this type of production.
The fact is, we are living in a world where 6 billion people need to be fed. Among these, there are many countries, cities and towns where corn production is heavily relied upon, but too difficult to produce.
We are privileged in the United States that food is readily available to our population, in many nations that is not the case. With our products, we can help solve this problem and offer a corn seed that is easy to grow, resistant to insects and other outside stressors and contains a perfectly balanced nutritional value.
We support our local farmers 100 percent and never encourage anyone to do otherwise. We aren’t asking anyone to change what they eat, but rather to understand that not everyone has access to beautiful and fresh produce like we do here, and it needs to come from somewhere. We are able to fulfill that global need that stems hunger and feeds the world.
Q: Does your company do public tours and if so, how should a person go about setting that up? And who at your company can someone contact if they have an issue or complaint?
A: At this time, we do not conduct tours of the site for safety reasons. Currently, Dow AgroSciences is expanding on the site and we are considered a heavy construction zone as we build.
We may offer scheduled group tours in the future when the expansion projects are complete. Please feel free to contact 335-5014 for information.
