AG OPERATIONS

Land Preparation - Fields receive 2 to 4 passes by a 36-inch harrow implement to break up the soil and facilitate water movement. Caterpillar D-8s, with 3 ripper shanks, then rip the subsoil.

Seed Production - Although sugarcane flowers can produce a true seed, cane is normally propagated by vegetative cuttings. At about 8-9 months of age, cane stalks are mechanically cut into 12 inch sections. Each seed piece has 2-3 nodes from which new plants will grow. These cuttings are dipped into 125 degree water for 30 minutes (for smut control) and then into a cold water fungicide solution for 1 minute to prevent fungus rot of the seed.

Planting and Ratooning - Cane is planted in twin lines with a spacing of 3 feet between the two lines in each pair and 6 feet between each pair of lines. Specially designed planting machines make furrows, inject drip irrigation tubing into the soil, and drop in seed pieces. Any gaps in the seed line are filled in by a follow-up crew before the furrows are covered over by a standard farm tractor.

A few weeks after harvesting, the remaining cane stumps send out new shoots (ratoons). These shoots are cultivated for the second and subsequent crops. Before the ratoons emerge, however, areas of compacted soil are plowed. Then, after the shoots are visible, the drip tubing is re-injected and seed is placed in any blank spaces of the cane line by a replanting unit fabricated on a D-6 undercarriage.

Irrigation - Growing of sugarcane on Maui is highly dependent upon irrigation. One of the important projects of the founders of the plantation was the building of the irrigation system which brings East Maui mountain runoff water to the arid central valley of Maui. East Maui Irrigation Company, a subsidiary of Alexander & Baldwin, Inc., owns and operates this water collection and delivery system. It consists of over 74 miles of ditches and tunnels and has the capacity to deliver approximately 450 million gallons of mountain water per day to HC&S. The Waihee ditch system in West Maui is jointly owned and operated by HC&S and Wailuku Agribusiness. This system has 12 miles of ditches and tunnels and can deliver 120 million gallons per day to HC&S. In addition, HC&S maintains 42 miles of main supply ditches and 47 reservoirs on the plantation. The reservoir storage capacity is 1.065 billion gallons. In addition to surface runoff water, HC&S has sixteen deep well pumping stations that can deliver an additional 242 million gallons per day of brackish ground water to the lower elevation fields. During an average year, approximately 55% of the water comes from surface runoff sources and the balance from the wells.

Efficient drip irrigation systems supply water to all of the cultivated area of the plantation. The drip systems use thin-wall polyethylene tubing to apply water. Each tube serves two adjacent rows of sugarcane.

Fertilizer is applied through the irrigation system. From 290 to 340 pounds of nitrogen are applied per acre during the first year of the crop. Phosphorous and potassium are applied as determined by soil and plant analysis. In addition, calcium carbonate and calcium silicate may be applied by the broadest method at planting time, depending on soil analysis.

Pest Control - Insect pests are controlled with biological methods- "bugs eating bugs". Most diseases are controlled through the development of resistant varieties.

Weeds are probably the biggest economic pests to sugar cane culture. The current practice on weed control is an initial pre-emergence application of Pendimethalin, Diuron, Ametryn, and/or Atrazine in various combinations. One or two subsequent applications of Ametryn-Atrazine-Diuron-Velpar combinations are applied by tractor or knapsack as needed. Also, noxious weeds are controlled by applications of Round-Up in specific problem areas.

Harvesting - At two years of age, the sugarcane is ready for harvesting. First, the field is burned to reduce the amount leafy matter, tops, dead cane, etc. going to the factory. Large push rakes (Caterpillar D-8s) push the cane into long windrows. Hydraulic cranes with a 4 ton grab capacity load cane into haulers. Each of our 18 haulers is capable of carrying 45-65 tons per load. Harvesting is done on a continuous schedule, operating seven days a week, to maximize factory utilization.

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FACTORIES - The Puunene Mill, built in 1901, has been repeatedly modernized and has a rated capacity to process 7,200 tons of cane per day. The mill was among the first in the industry to be completely computer controlled. The mill grinding season is approximately 190 working days. A four to six week year-end period is used for maintenance and repair of equipment in the mills.


POWER - HC&S generates its own electric power, primarily from renewable sources, in two steam and three hydroelectric plants. The primary fuel used in the steam plants is bagasse, the fiber residue of the cane plant. HC&S turns about 500,000 tons of bagasse into power annually. The electricity produced meets all the plantation's power requirements. HC&S sells excess electricity to Maui Electric Company, meeting about 10% of the power needs of Maui's homes and businesses.


PRODUCTS - HC&S raw sugar is shipped to Crockett, California for refining. It then goes to market in the western two-thirds of the United States under the C&H cane sugar label. Molasses is also marketed on the mainland, while a small amount is sold directly to Maui cattle feeders.

HC&S also produces premium raw sugars under its Maui Brand Hawaiian Raw Sugar label. Maui Brand Hawaiian Raw Sugar comes in two varieties, Natural Hawaiian Raw Sugar and Premium Hawaiian Turbinado. Both retain some of the natural molasses to bring extra richness to all your sweetening needs. Maui Brand Hawaiian Raw Sugar products are packaged in sizes from single serving packets through one-ton supersacks. Click here for more information about Maui Brand Hawaiian Raw Sugar or to order online at our Maui Brand Hawaiian Raw Sugar web site.