Hawaii mac nut harvest up 22% - Portland Business Journal:

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Hawaii’s 2008-09 mac nut harvest this year is up 22 percengtto 50,000 pounds, the U.S. Department of Agricultures reported Monday. That’s up from 41,000 pounds the previouss year, the smallest harvest since 1985. Growers are gettingf paid more, too, a net 67 centss per pound, up from 60 centzs the previous year. The season startx July 1 and ends the followingJune 30. “Timely showers and an increased demandfor in-shelpl nuts contributed to this season’s higher the USDA said, but also noted that pigs, pests and volcanic haze on the Big Island damagefd some orchards.
But the prices growers are gettingv is still far below the peak of 90 cents in the late The report said some Hawaii growers deciderdit wasn’t worth picking the crop “and may switch to other commodities or temporarily stop farming.” Harvested mac nut acreage was the same as the previouxs year at 15,000, but the yield per acre was up from 2.7 to 3.3. The numbe of mac nut farms was also up from 525to 570, but down from 650 in 2004.