From Yahoo, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, and the Honolulu Advertiser: Del Monte announced yesterday that the company will shut down its Hawaii operations within the next 60 days, the minimum amount of time allowed by Federal law for a layoff announcement. The layoff affects 551 Del Monte employees.I’ve heard of giving pineapples as a Christmas present, but this seems cruel. Del Monte’s been a part of the Hawaiian economy for a century, and this announcement is another nail in the coffin for Hawaiian agriculture, as more farmland is converted to residential and commercial use.
It’s much less expensive for Del Monte to grow pineapples in Costa Rica, the Philippines and Thailand than Hawaii, mostly because of labor costs. Apparently Hawaii pineapple no longer commands a premium price from consumers.
The company had announced in February that it would shut down operations in 2008. The new date means that the current crop of pineapple, grown on a 5100 acre plot in Kunia, may be abandoned. Pineapple takes three years to cultivate and harvest. Maui Pineapple has asked to salvage the abandoned crop, but Dole may become the only company growing pineapple on Oahu.
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