Del Monte shuts down Hawaii operations

[damontucker]

Re: Del Monte shuts down Hawaii operations

I think it's dieing here on Oahu! Neighbor Islands it is expanding.

For example the new Hilo project:

The Hilo project will provide Komohana Agricultural Complex with state-of-the-art laboratories, laboratory support spaces, offices, greenhouses and greenhouse support facilities for the CTAHR faculty in Hilo. The project is expected to be completed in August 2007 at a total cost of $14.5 million...
In 2007, the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources and the University of Hawai`i will celebrate its 100th anniversary!

http://www.hawaii.gov/gov/news/relea...tem.2005-04-22

[GeckoGeek]

Re: Del Monte shuts down Hawaii operations

So do you think agriculture is a dying industry in Hawaii?

Bulk/mass agriculture, yes. There's a specialty agriculture that seems to be doing ok. But then it's aimed at a market that's more interested in quality and freshness then price. When it comes to growing for energy, it's all about price.

[joshuatree]

Re: Del Monte shuts down Hawaii operations

Yes, it seems specialty agriculture is one aspect that's thriving. But is that enough to replace the disappearance of the mass agriculture? It seems Hawaii is becoming more and more solely dependent on tourism. Anyone with creative ideas of what else the state can go into? Aquaculture?

[Surfingfarmboy]

Re: Del Monte shuts down Hawaii operations

the US isn't suited to growing sugar with the exceptions of Hawaii, Guam, Puerto Rico, and Florida.

Louisiana was/still can be a big time producer of cane sugar as well.

Remember, sugar doesn't have to come strictly from cane. Beets are a huge source of sugar as well. Sugar beets as they are known as, are grown extensively in Colorado.

[timkona]

Re: Del Monte shuts down Hawaii operations

Aquaculture is doing well in Kona. The big fish pens west of the airport. The lobster and other shellfish at OTEC. Of course, they have fought tooth and nail against the politics of NO to get to that point.

I bought lobster from that OTEC place before. It was great. At a great price. I wonder where the fish farms sell their fish locally, and what the prices are?

[Miulang]

Re: Del Monte shuts down Hawaii operations

Potentially, Hawaii's sugar industry can stand a chance if switched over for energy production instead of human consumption. One reason why Brazil has managed to effectively run most of their energy needs for their automobiles is because they chose sugar cane as the raw material to produce ethanol. Sugar cane yields more ethanol per acre than corn ever will. But the US is focused on corn for ethanol because geographically speaking, the US isn't suited to growing sugar with the exceptions of Hawaii, Guam, Puerto Rico, and Florida.

But there's still the hurdles of cost. Will producing ethanol from sugar in Hawaii be cost competitive to corn? What if the US just imports more sugar from places like Brazil? And it's still too early to tell if the US will embrace ethanol like the Brazilians did.

Maybe we should go back to cultivating sandal wood? I've never heard of any country mass producing sandal wood cheaply. But the downside is, turns out sandal wood needs like at least 40 years to mature to a point where it's of good market quality.

The unfortunate thing about sugar cane and ethanol production is that it's very water-intensive. So then you have the either/or question: do you want more sugar cane so you can have fuel for your car, or do you want water to survive?

Miulang

[timkona]

Re: Del Monte shuts down Hawaii operations

Ahhh, Come on Miulang. No rebuttal to post #11.

I am so disappointed.

[Miulang]

Re: Del Monte shuts down Hawaii operations

Ahhh, Come on Miulang. No rebuttal to post #11.

I am so disappointed.

The majority of states already have minimum wages that are above the federal minimum wage. So should the federal minimum wage be the floor (i.e., the minimum) that an hourly worker earns? IF there is to be a minimum wage, then each state should be the one to determine what that minimum wage should be, based on the cost of living and not by some arbitrary federal rule. And that, Tim, is NOT cognitive dissonance.

Miulang

P.S. You and I don't have to worry about minimum wage because we make way more than that. But think about the room cleaners in hotels who make minimum wage. That's why I always leave a generous tip for them when I leave; I know they're just struggling to make ends meet.

[timkona]

Re: Del Monte shuts down Hawaii operations

And yet, you very carefully avoided the fact that Min Wage Laws HURT those they are most trying to help.

Ostriches worldwide salute you !

[Miulang]

Re: Del Monte shuts down Hawaii operations

And yet, you very carefully avoided the fact that Min Wage Laws HURT those they are most trying to help.

Ostriches worldwide salute you !

The only way a minimum wage hurts people is because BUSINESSES will use it as an excuse NOT to pay their employees more. And heaven forfend, if we HAD to pay people a living wage, ALL of us would end up paying more for everything (I'm not saying that would necessarily be a bad thing, either). If everyone could have access to adequate healthcare without having to worry about making a choice between that and eating, maybe a minimum wage wouldn't be such a big deal.

Miulang

[timkona]

Re: Del Monte shuts down Hawaii operations

The only way a minimum wage hurts people is because BUSINESSES will use it as an excuse NOT to pay their employees more. And heaven forfend, if we HAD to pay people a living wage, (2)ALL of us would end up paying more for everything (I'm not saying that would necessarily be a bad thing, either). If everyone could have access to adequate healthcare without having to worry about making a choice between that and eating, maybe a minimum wage wouldn't be such a big deal.

This is just too good to pass up. The first sentence in your reply makes no sense whatsoever. For section (2), please refer to paragraph 2 in post #11.

When wages rise, business will cut the least skilled worker's first, and look to raise productivity from the others. This is the crux reason why minimum wage laws hurt those that they try to help.

It's just economics, based in history and facts. Don't be afraid.

[Miulang]

Re: Del Monte shuts down Hawaii operations

The only way a minimum wage hurts people is because BUSINESSES will use it as an excuse NOT to pay their employees more. And heaven forfend, if we HAD to pay people a living wage, (2)ALL of us would end up paying more for everything (I'm not saying that would necessarily be a bad thing, either). If everyone could have access to adequate healthcare without having to worry about making a choice between that and eating, maybe a minimum wage wouldn't be such a big deal.

This is just too good to pass up. The first sentence in your reply makes no sense whatsoever. For section (2), please refer to paragraph 2 in post #11.

When wages rise, business will cut the least skilled worker's first, and look to raise productivity from the others. This is the crux reason why minimum wage laws hurt those that they try to help.

It's just economics, based in history and facts. Don't be afraid.

OK, so give me a plan to help the working poor out of their plight, then. And don't just say, "Let them work harder, or work 2 jobs".

[joshuatree]

Re: Del Monte shuts down Hawaii operations

Louisiana was/still can be a big time producer of cane sugar as well.

Remember, sugar doesn't have to come strictly from cane. Beets are a huge source of sugar as well. Sugar beets as they are known as, are grown extensively in Colorado.

Thanks for pointing that out. Wasn't aware Lousiana had sugar production but given it's climate, it makes sense.

Dug around a little, turns out ethanol from sugar, whether cane or beet, yields 20 times more versus from corn. If our country is investing in ethanol big time, we need to stop looking at corn. Somehow, I think the corn industry has a say in this.

[joshuatree]

Re: Del Monte shuts down Hawaii operations

Aquaculture is doing well in Kona. The big fish pens west of the airport. The lobster and other shellfish at OTEC. Of course, they have fought tooth and nail against the politics of NO to get to that point.

I bought lobster from that OTEC place before. It was great. At a great price. I wonder where the fish farms sell their fish locally, and what the prices are?

Which I think is a good development. Given that catching fish from the wild is yielding lower and lower results each year, it's nice to give some relief to the wild stock so they can replenish yet by fish farming, our fisherman have an alternate viable means. I know there are still some problems to be worked out, such as the massive amount of waste produced by a large number of fish concentrated in a cage or the fact that farming fish may actually consume more wild fish because you do need to feed the farmed fish. But maybe a vegeterian diet can be substituted? Soy? I really think the state should push this area for growth, use the resources that are plentiful to this state. And what better resource than the Pacific Ocean right at your disposal?

[joshuatree]

Re: Del Monte shuts down Hawaii operations

The unfortunate thing about sugar cane and ethanol production is that it's very water-intensive. So then you have the either/or question: do you want more sugar cane so you can have fuel for your car, or do you want water to survive?

Miulang

One prospective source can be switchgrass. It grows very fast, is very drought resistant, and yields a very nice amount of ethanol when processed. However, I think Hawaii would not be competive if our country decides to use switchgrass and embraces ethanol. The plant is native to North America so it can easily be grown there, no need to bring a non-native plant all the way here.

Right now, a lot of folks also complain that since ethanol has 30% less energy per volume than gas, the lower gas mileage offsets the positives of ethanol. In this regard, there is a solution but it does mean the country needs to fully embrace ethanol. If you build cars that solely run on ethanol, the engines will be built with a much higher compression ratio, almost the same as a diesel engine. At this higher ratio, the engine has a higher thermal efficiency so it can narrow down the 30% gap tremendously. So there are solutions, just whether or not if this country will embrace it or not.