Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture Releases Key Agribusiness Reports

by Thunda
2 minutes read

The Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture (HDOA), Market News and Analysis Branch (MANB) has issued four new statistical reports this week, providing updated data on various aspects of the state’s agricultural sector. The reports cover May egg prices, farm labor trends, 2022 farm production expenses by industry type, and land equipped with irrigation systems.

The Honolulu Egg Prices for May 2025 report shows a decrease in the average retail price for a dozen large locally produced eggs, which dropped 5.6% to $9.04 from $9.58 in April. The price of mainland eggs also saw a significant drop of 16.5%, falling from $9.32 in April to $7.78 in May.

According to the Farm Labor Statistics for the First Half of 2025 report, the total number of hired farm workers in Hawaiʻi has remained stable at 5,000 since October 2022. The average hourly wage for these workers ranged from $18.74 to $20.08 in 2025, an increase compared to the 2024 average of $17.25 – $18.74. The number of farm workers with H-2A visas (temporary visas for foreign agricultural workers) for the first half of the U.S. fiscal year 2025 was 296, marking a 32% increase from 225 workers during the same period last year.

The Farm Production Expenses by Industry 2022 report provides insights into operational costs. In 2022, Hawaiʻi’s fruit and tree nut industry recorded $154.2 million in total farm production expenses across its 2,688 farms, averaging approximately $57,400 per farm. In contrast, the oilseed and grain industry, with only 12 farms, incurred $101.9 million in total expenses, averaging about $8.5 million per farm. Labor costs were identified as the largest expense for crop-based industries, while feed costs constituted the largest expense for the livestock industry.

Finally, Statistics on Land with Irrigation Systems or Equipment 2022 indicates that only 41,850 acres were irrigated in Hawaiʻi in 2022. Approximately 79% of cropland, 65% of harvested cropland, and 12% of pasturelands were equipped with irrigation systems or equipment. Hawaiʻi County, which has the largest number of farms in the state, also reported the highest number of farms utilizing irrigation systems, followed by Maui, Oʻahu, and Kauaʻi.

The full reports are available for public viewing on the HDOA website, where more agriculture-related statistics can also be found.

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