Project Overview
This project addressed the production and economic risks associated
with product diversification of avocado growers in Hawaii. In the 1980s,
‘Sharwil’ avocado was approved for export to the mainland U.S. from Hawaii,
however, a shipment that arrived with fruit fly quickly ended the program. In
2013, the ‘Sharwil’ export program re-opened with a strict set of compliance
agreements from the USDA-APHIS for growers and packinghouses. One component of
the grower compliance agreement is that avocados must be of the ‘Sharwil’
variety.
To ensure that growers are only harvesting ‘Sharwil’ avocados,
they must have detailed and accurate records of their source material to verify
their produce is the correct variety for legal purposes and to maintain a
consistent and quality product reaching mainland U.S. markets.
This project educated growers on the compliance agreement,
grafting from known source material, record-keeping, and the tools and skills
needed to graft avocado. This information and skills were delivered through 4
hands-on workshops reaching 66 grower participants. Upon completion of the
workshop, growers had the skills and materials needed to graft and plant 4
‘Sharwil’ avocado trees each. Four months after the workshop, we received
reports that half of respondents (7/14) had successfully grafted ‘Sharwil’
trees.
Number of Participants: 66
PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS
There are no promotional materials available for this project.
EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS
There are no educational materials available for this project.
REPORTS & EVALUATIONS
There are no reports or evaluations available for this project.