People the world over have enjoyed the sweet and succulent products the Hawaiian Islands are famous for—sugar and pineapple. These are the two most important agricultural industries in the archipelago. Pineapple can grow at higher elevations and needs less water than sugar cane so the crops don't compete for the same lands. Because Hawaii must import most essentials from the U.S. mainland, the export of sugar and pineapple is an important factor in the state's balance of trade. Also, with the world running low on verdant spaces, sugar and pineapple are keeping Oahu green.

SUGAR

Sugar cane came to the islands in the hulls of the great canoes those early Polynesians sailed across the Pacific. Hawaiians planted it as a windbreak around their homes and broke off sections to chew when they traveled.

The first sugar plantation in Hawaii was started in Manoa Valley on Oahu in 1825 and the first export recorded was two tons in 1837. The Royal Hawaiian Agricultural Society was instrumental in bringing the initial shipment of Chinese laborers to work the fields in 1852. This was the beginning of waves of immigrant workers who have contributed a wealth of cultural diversity to Hawaii.

Cane on Oahu takes about two years to mature. The industry is highly mechanized and has virtually eliminated hand labor. Just before harvest, whole fields of cane are deliberately set on fire. This destroys unwanted leaves and other trash and does not affect the sugar content.

Hawaii's sugar industry is recognized as the world's leader in sugar technology and production and its workers are among the highest paid full-time agricultural workers in the world.