While Kaua`i is ranked fourth in the state in terms of total visitor arrivals (after O`ahu, Maui and Hawai`i), during a typical year the visitor industry on Kaua`i contributes a very significant percentage to the County’s real income and is said to be the single largest industry on the Garden Isle.
According to the University of Hawai`i Economic Research Organization’s Kaua`i Economic Outlook (June 2004), Kaua`i visitor arrivals on mainland flights ran 2.7% above prior year levels during the first four months of 2004.
Despite global setbacks to the travel and tourism industry in 2001-2003, Kauai’s visitor industry has made a very strong comeback with near future forecasts very favorable. In recent years, Kauai’s economy has fared significantly better than other neighbor islands, even during soft periods.
Part of Kauai’s success is due to Kauai’s strength in the domestic travel market as well as the large number of time-share and condominium owners who have kept Kauai’s visitor industry busy when other destinations were not as fortunate. Time share units on Kaua`i represented 35% of the state’s total in 2002 and one-fifth of all accommodation on the Island.
AGRICULTURE
Kauai’s agriculture started in the early Hawaiian lo`i kalo (terraced taro fields) and continues to form a vital part of the economy of this tropical rural county.
The aptly named Garden Island is, from an agricultural perspective, a challenging, but rewarding place to do business. Kauai’s 365-day-a-year growing season affords farmers and gardeners the opportunity to grow everything from tropical fruits and flowers to traditional Polynesian and row crops, endangered native plants and exotic hardwoods.
The largest coffee estate in the U.S. is the Kaua`i Coffee Company on Kauai’s south side which has 3,400 acres dedicated to growing an annual yield of 3.5 million pounds (60% of Hawaii’s total output).
In terms of economic value, Kauai’s number one crop today is seed corn which is grown largely on west Kaua`i and exported to the U.S. mainland. Other important crops include coffee, guava, taro and sugar.
On the north shore of Kaua`i, Kilauea Agronomics, Inc. (Guava Kai) has transformed former sugar land into 450 acres of guava orchards, producing 12 million pounds of fruit annually.
Also on the north shore, in the Hanalei Valley, roughly two-thirds of Hawaii’s six million pounds of poi taro (an important traditional Hawaiian staple) is grown and processed.
Sugar, for 150 years the leading crop of Hawai`i, is currently grown commercially in only two places in Hawai`i, one of which is Gay & Robinson, Inc. on Kaua`i’s west side. Gay & Robinson, that maintains 8,781 acres, grew 21% of Hawaii’s sugar, 59,085 tons, in 2004.
Additionally, Kaua`i farmers grow papayas, bananas, tropical specialty fruits like rambutan, lychee and longan, row crops like bok choi and lettuce as well as hardwoods like teak, mahogany, albizia, and tropical flowers, although none of these are major crops now.
Beef cattle are also raised and exported to the U.S. mainland while small hog and chicken operations remain for domestic consumption.
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