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Mahi Ponoâs fields in Central Maui. Multiple crops are being grown on lands formerly used for sugar cane. â The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo
PUUNENE Wind. Drought. Pests. Farming in Central Maui already holds a unique set of challenges. Add a global pandemic and agriculture operations are tested in a whole new way.
So Mahi Pono, the largest agriculture company on Maui, has made key changes to its operations in light of coronavirus.
The pandemic affected everything from shipping costs a 46 percent increase in Young Brothers rates took effect last year to in-field work that needed COVID-19 safety protocols. Restaurants and hotels major markets for local produce closed, causing the company to look at the type and scale of its crops.