VALUE CHAINS
INFORMATION review
Staple Food Commodities
Hawai'i Island
Who are we trying to benefit?
Understanding a value chain best starts with the people in the value chain we seek to benefit most - the Producers. Below is a summary of the available demographic and income details of the island's staple food commodities producers in Hawai'i County from the 2022 USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) Agricultural Survey. Please note that Fruit Producers are combined in this data with Macadamia Nut producers in the category of Fruits & Tree Nuts. Macadamia Nuts are categorized with export crops in a separate valaue chain analysis.
As the available data specifically for staple food commodities producers is limited, we can note the data across all farms in the County as indicative of the demographics of the staple food producers, who represent the largest portion (70%) of the island's producers. Some key statistics of note about the island's producers includes the following.
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Advanced Age of Farmers: The average age of farmers is 61 years, with a significant portion (around 46%) of producers being 65 years and older. This raises concerns about the sustainability of the farming population, as fewer younger producers are present (only 6% are under 35). This advanced age signals potential challenges for future farming capacity unless younger farmers are encouraged to enter and remain in the sector.
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Number of Beginning Farmers: The data shows 951 producers have been operating their farms for 5 years or less, which accounts for about 15% of the total producers. This indicates some level of new entry into farming, though it is relatively modest compared to the overall producer population.
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Gender Distribution: Male producers account for about 57% of the total producers, while female producers represent 43%. This suggests a notable presence of women in farming, although men still dominate slightly in terms of producer numbers.
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Internet Access: There is a strong presence of technology adoption, with 2,896 farms (about 80%) having some form of internet access. The predominant methods of access include broadband and cellular data plans, highlighting a reasonable level of digital connectivity which could support innovations and market linkages.
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Off-Farm Employment: A significant number of producers (65%) work off-farm, with many (about 34%) working more than 200 days off-farm. This suggests that a large portion of farmers may rely on off-farm income, potentially indicating challenges in achieving full-time viability from farm operations alone.
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Land Tenure: The majority of farms are fully owned (2,623 farms) compared to part-owned or leased land. This level of ownership provides stability but could limit opportunities for new entrants if land availability is restricted.
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Income from Farm-Related Activities: The data reveals income diversification through farm-related activities, such as custom work, agri-tourism, and gross cash rent. However, income from these activities varies widely, with some categories like agri-tourism showing significant growth potential ($9,338,000 in 2022 compared to $1,569,000 in 2017).