#end of an era

State Senators from Maui responded to the announcement that Mahi Pono will purchase former HC&S lands from A&B keeping it in use for diversified agriculture.

It’s been two years since the company discontinued sugar production at it’s Puʻunēnē Mill, marking an end of an era for sugar on Maui and in the state of Hawaiʻi.

The final load of sugar from Maui went out of port at Kahului Harbor this morning. Blaring boat horns could be heard throughout central Maui as the departure marked the end of an era for sugar in the islands.

For those that have flown in to Kahului Airport, including tourists and visitors alike, the fields of cane have served as a green welcome-carpet of sorts to those arriving on Maui. Will that green turn into a brown dust bowl, or be replaced by a different crop going forward?

Robert Luuwai, vice president of factory operations at HC&S give us an inside look at mill operations and a bit of history about the original 1890 building.

A new scholarship fund specifically designed to support the Maui sugar industry workers and their children has been established amid the impending closure of HC&S.

As the last harvest at Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Company nears its end, we had the opportunity to document some of the work that goes into the operation, and discuss the company’s new venture into diversified agriculture.

HC&S General Manager, Rick Volner tells Maui Now that the company had a couple of major goals that they set out at the beginning of the year. “One was obviously finishing this last year and getting the sugar production and the crop through.”