POLL: “How Should Cane Field Lands Be Used?”

By David Kvasnicka

HC&S Sugarcane Fields. Image courtesy of HC&S.

Based on recent reader comments regarding the discussion of alternative uses for cane field lands, we have inserted a poll below to allow Mauians to highlight their preferences for how the land might be used in the event that (food) sugar production ceased.

One issue identified with ceasing regular operations is the potential loss of around 800 jobs through Hawaiian Commercial and Sugar (HC&S). If cane field lands were to switch to another use, a discussion on how those workers could be re-trained and/or migrated into new positions might be pertinent.

HC&S General Manager Rick Volner and Director of Energy Development Lee Jakeway sat down recently with Maui Now to talk about their experiments to utilize some of their operations for renewable energy (like biofuels). So, some kind of change may be on the horizon.

To read up on some of the discussion, see these stories and their comments sections:

• OPINION: EPA Maui Hearing an Expensive Farce
• Maui’s Cane Burning – How Dangerous Is It?
• HC&S Responds to ‘Cane Burning Dangerous?’ Article

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