Sales

Sales of raw and processed food products.

The sales function of the island's staple food commodities faces several challenges but also presents unique opportunities. One significant issue is that farmers often struggle with accessing markets that offer suitable prices. This challenge stems partly from a lack of awareness of market opportunities and competition from low-grade imported products. Addressing this issue requires a multi-faceted approach, including better market information systems, collective marketing efforts, and potentially policy measures to support local producers.

Fruits

Obtaining price data in Hawaiʻi has been difficult without carrying out expensive surveys. National averages of prices for fruit products as outlined in the following table provides some benchmarking in the absence of more locally sourced data.

Fruit	Form	RetailPrice	RetailPriceUnit	Yield
Apples	Fresh	1.8541	per pound	0.9
Apples, applesauce	Canned	1.1705	per pound	1
Apples, ready-to-drink	Juice	0.8699	per pint	1
Apples, frozen concentrate	Juice	0.6086	per pint	1
Apricots	Fresh	3.6162	per pound	0.93
Apricots, packed in juice	Canned	1.8645	per pound	1
Apricots, packed in syrup or water	Canned	2.2362	per pound	0.65
Apricots	Dried	7.6611	per pound	1
Bananas	Fresh	0.5971	per pound	0.64
Berries, mixed	Frozen	4.2673	per pound	1
Blackberries	Fresh	6.7483	per pound	0.96
Blackberries	Frozen	4.8277	per pound	1
Blueberries	Fresh	4.1575	per pound	0.95
Blueberries	Frozen	3.821	per pound	1
Cantaloupe	Fresh	0.7523	per pound	0.51
Cherries	Fresh	4.6632	per pound	0.92
Cherries, packed in syrup or water	Canned	5.2418	per pound	0.65
Clementines	Fresh	1.5811	per pound	0.77
Cranberries	Dried	5.0828	per pound	1
Dates	Dried	5.7499	per pound	1
Figs	Dried	7.3233	per pound	0.96
Fruit cocktail, packed in juice	Canned	2.394	per pound	1
Fruit cocktail, packed in syrup or water	Canned	2.0996	per pound	0.65
Grapefruit	Fresh	1.4444	per pound	0.49
Grapefruit, ready-to-drink	Juice	1.1935	per pint	1
Grapes	Fresh	2.0363	per pound	0.96
Grapes (raisins)	Dried	3.9936	per pound	1
Grapes, ready-to-drink	Juice	1.0509	per pint	1
Grapes, frozen concentrate	Juice	0.7524	per pint	1
Honeydew	Fresh	1.1589	per pound	0.46
Kiwi	Fresh	2.6064	per pound	0.76
Mangoes	Fresh	1.4698	per pound	0.71
Mangoes	Dried	10.3035	per pound	1
Nectarines	Fresh	2.3721	per pound	0.91
Oranges	Fresh	1.4624	per pound	0.68
Oranges, ready-to-drink	Juice	1.0572	per pint	1
Oranges, frozen concentrate	Juice	0.7338	per pint	1
Papaya	Fresh	1.3375	per pound	0.62
Papaya	Dried	7.4854	per pound	1
Peaches	Fresh	2.1785	per pound	0.96
Peaches, packed in juice	Canned	2.2503	per pound	1
Peaches, packed in syrup or water	Canned	2.0102	per pound	0.65
Peaches	Frozen	3.6058	per pound	1
Pears	Fresh	1.8472	per pound	0.9
Pears, packed in juice	Canned	2.14	per pound	1
Pears, packed in syrup or water	Canned	2.092	per pound	0.65
Pineapple	Fresh	0.617	per pound	0.51
Pineapple, packed in juice	Canned	1.6509	per pound	1
Pineapple, packed in syrup or water	Canned	1.7771	per pound	0.65
Pineapple	Dried	7.0133	per pound	1
Pineapple, ready-to-drink	Juice	1.2243	per pint	1
Pineapple, frozen concentrate	Juice	0.7256	per pint	1
Plum	Fresh	2.5259	per pound	0.94
Plum (prunes)	Dried	6.3293	per pound	1
Plum (prune), ready-to-drink	Juice	1.6988	per pint	1
Pomegranate	Fresh	2.4672	per pound	0.56
Pomegranate, ready-to-drink	Juice	3.2788	per pint	1
Raspberries	Fresh	7.7338	per pound	0.96
Raspberries	Frozen	6.159	per pound	1
Strawberries	Fresh	2.9682	per pound	0.94
Strawberries	Frozen	3.3421	per pound	1
Watermelon	Fresh	0.382	per pound	0.52

The competitiveness of local products is challenged by high labor and land costs on Hawai'i Island. To address this, there is a need for more protective measures against low-grade imported products and better marketing strategies to enhance the visibility and market presence of local agricultural products. Emphasizing the unique qualities of Hawai'i Island fruits, such as their flavor, freshness, and the sustainable practices used in their production, can help justify premium pricing and differentiate local products from imports.

On the positive side, the growth of farmers' markets and community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs on Hawai'i Island has provided new direct-to-consumer sales channels for fruit producers. These venues not only offer better margins for farmers but also help to educate consumers about local fruits and build community connections around food. Expanding and supporting these direct sales channels could be an important part of a comprehensive sales strategy for the fruit sector.

Vegetables

Sales channels for vegetables and melons on Hawai'i Island are diverse, ranging from traditional grocery stores to innovative direct-sales models. Farm stands and roadside markets are particularly popular for vegetable sales, allowing farmers to sell fresh produce directly to consumers. One unique sales channel that has gained traction is the "workplace CSA" model, where boxes of fresh vegetables are delivered to workplaces for employee purchase. This model has been successful in reaching consumers who might not typically visit farmers' markets.

For melons, which are often seen as a luxury item, there's potential in developing premium packaging and branding to target high-end markets, including luxury resorts and gourmet food stores on the island.

A summary of Operations and Sales for Hawaiʻi Island’s vegetable farms is shown in the following table:

A challenge specific to vegetable sales on Hawai'i Island is competition from imported produce, which can often be sold at lower prices. To combat this, local producers are increasingly emphasizing the freshness, quality, and lower carbon footprint of their island-grown vegetables, appealing to environmentally conscious consumers. As with the island’s fruit products, obtaining average price data in Hawaiʻi has been difficult without carrying out expensive surveys. National averages of prices for vegetable and melon products as outlined in the following table provide some benchmarking in the absence of more locally sourced data.

Vegetable	Form	RetailPrice	RetailPriceUnit	Yield
Acorn squash	Fresh	1.2136	per pound	0.4586
Artichoke	Fresh	2.4703	per pound	0.375
Artichoke	Canned	3.4498	per pound	0.65
Asparagus	Fresh	2.9531	per pound	0.4938
Asparagus	Canned	3.4328	per pound	0.65
Asparagus	Frozen	6.8212	per pound	1.0335
Avocados	Fresh	2.6737	per pound	0.7408
Beets	Canned	1.1431	per pound	0.65
Black beans	Canned	1.2387	per pound	0.65
Black beans	Dried	1.525	per pound	2.4692
Blackeye peas	Canned	1.3164	per pound	0.65
Blackeye peas	Dried	1.9265	per pound	2.5397
Broccoli florets	Fresh	2.9162	per pound	1
Broccoli heads	Fresh	3.082	per pound	0.78
Broccoli	Frozen	2.3458	per pound	0.8818
Brussels sprouts	Fresh	2.9139	per pound	1.06
Brussels sprouts	Frozen	2.5949	per pound	0.96
Butternut squash	Fresh	1.2691	per pound	0.714
Cabbage, green	Fresh	0.797	per pound	0.7788
Cabbage, red	Fresh	1.2604	per pound	0.7791
Cabbage, sauerkraut	Canned	1.478	per pound	0.65
Carrots, cooked whole	Fresh	0.9761	per pound	0.8158
Carrots, raw whole	Fresh	0.9761	per pound	0.89
Carrots, baby	Fresh	1.3507	per pound	1
Carrots	Canned	1.1979	per pound	0.65
Carrots	Frozen	1.7277	per pound	0.98
Cauliflower florets	Fresh	3.8022	per pound	0.9702
Cauliflower heads	Fresh	2.1841	per pound	0.8926
Cauliflower	Frozen	2.3974	per pound	0.9304
Celery, trimmed bunches	Fresh	1.1637	per pound	0.73
Celery sticks	Fresh	2.4941	per pound	1
Collard greens	Fresh	3.0881	per pound	1.16
Collard greens	Canned	1.3315	per pound	0.65
Collard greens	Frozen	2.3512	per pound	0.8818
Corn	Fresh	2.2281	per pound	0.54
Corn	Canned	1.1543	per pound	0.65
Corn	Frozen	1.6889	per pound	0.963
Cucumbers with peel	Fresh	1.2473	per pound	0.97
Cucumbers without peel	Fresh	1.2473	per pound	0.73
Great northern beans	Canned	1.1583	per pound	0.65
Great northern beans	Dried	1.7202	per pound	2.4692
Green beans	Fresh	2.6199	per pound	0.8466
Green beans	Canned	1.1291	per pound	0.65
Green beans	Frozen	1.9983	per pound	0.903
Green peas	Canned	1.3118	per pound	0.65
Green peas	Frozen	1.996	per pound	0.8924
Green peppers	Fresh	1.4789	per pound	0.82
Kale	Fresh	3.4338	per pound	1.05
Kale	Frozen	2.2983	per pound	0.8995
Kidney beans	Canned	1.1208	per pound	0.65
Kidney beans	Dried	1.9176	per pound	2.4692
Lentils	Dried	1.839	per pound	2.4692
Lettuce, iceberg	Fresh	1.2512	per pound	0.95
Lettuce, romaine, heads	Fresh	2.3074	per pound	0.94
Lettuce, romaine, hearts	Fresh	3.2802	per pound	0.85
Lima beans	Canned	1.4785	per pound	0.65
Lima beans	Frozen	2.4401	per pound	1.097
Lima beans	Dried	2.3933	per pound	2.5397
Mixed vegetables, peas & carrots	Canned	1.4754	per pound	0.65
Mixed vegetables, peas & carrots	Frozen	1.8433	per pound	0.99
Mixed vegetables, carrots, peas, corn, green beans	Frozen	1.7859	per pound	0.97
Mixed vegetables, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots	Frozen	2.1538	per pound	0.97
Mushrooms, whole	Fresh	3.8929	per pound	0.97
Mushrooms, sliced	Fresh	3.9224	per pound	1
Mustard greens	Canned	1.3367	per pound	0.65
Mustard greens	Frozen	2.4324	per pound	0.7478
Navy beans	Canned	1.2738	per pound	0.65
Navy beans	Dried	1.6073	per pound	2.4692
Okra	Fresh	5.1567	per pound	0.7695
Okra	Frozen	2.2528	per pound	0.8995
Olives	Canned	5.3496	per pound	1
Onions	Fresh	1.1062	per pound	0.9
Pinto beans	Canned	1.1189	per pound	0.65
Pinto beans	Dried	1.4173	per pound	2.4692
Potatoes	Fresh	0.8166	per pound	0.8113
Potatoes, french fries	Frozen	1.9018	per pound	0.776
Potatoes	Canned	1.0266	per pound	0.65
Pumpkin	Canned	1.8642	per pound	1
Radish	Fresh	1.8126	per pound	0.9
Red peppers	Fresh	1.8742	per pound	0.82
Spinach, boiled	Fresh	4.1214	per pound	0.77
Spinach, eaten raw	Fresh	4.1214	per pound	1
Spinach	Canned	1.5676	per pound	0.65
Spinach	Frozen	2.2796	per pound	0.776
Sweet potatoes	Fresh	1.1565	per pound	0.8818
Tomatoes, grape & cherry	Fresh	3.8729	per pound	0.91
Tomatoes, roma & plum	Fresh	1.2453	per pound	0.91
Tomatoes, large round	Fresh	2.1868	per pound	0.91
Tomatoes	Canned	1.0715	per pound	1
Turnip greens	Fresh	2.925	per pound	0.75
Turnip greens	Canned	1.3154	per pound	0.65
Turnip greens	Frozen	2.5169	per pound	0.776
Zucchini	Fresh	1.6359	per pound	0.7695

Livestock

Data from the USDA NASS 2022 Agriculture Census provides an overview of livestock and egg sales over the past decade. A summary of key data related to Livestock Sales is provided in the following table.

Sales channels are diverse. For beef, while traditional grocery stores account for about 50% of sales, direct-to-consumer sales have been growing. The Hawaiʻi Cattlemen's Council reported a 40% increase in direct sales between 2018 and 2020. Poultry and pork sales are often through direct channels. The Hawai'i Island Meat Cooperative reported that 70% of their members' sales in 2020 were through farmers' markets or direct farm sales.

For dairy products, sales are primarily local. The Hawai'i Department of Agriculture estimated that in 2020, 85% of locally produced dairy products were sold through farmers' markets, health food stores, and direct from farm stands. The cultural importance of certain products drives unique sales patterns. For example, the Hawai'i Tourism Authority reported that in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, about 12% of visitors to Hawai'i Island attended a luau, creating steady demand for whole roast pigs.