TARO IMPORT SUBSTITUTION: STRATEGIES FOR HAWAII'S AGRICULTURE

Hawai'i's agriculture has been transforming in response to changing world conditions and competitiveness. No longer are sugar and pineapple plantation farming the mainstays of Hawai'i's agricultural economy. The focus now is on diversified and sustainable agriculture, taking place on small to medium size family- farms. These entrepreneurial farmers are providing new opportunities toward increasing theirs, their community's, the state's and the country's economic livelihood. Taro farming offers these small family-farms competitive advantages and opportunities to exploit the growing domestic taro market, without placing undue marketing pressure upon existing taro farming operations in the state and country. In 1997, the United States taro import market was estimated at $22,896,000 with over 60 million pounds being imported. The domestic demand for taro has increased by over 30 percent since 1993, with the import custom's value more than doubling from its 1993 value of $10.2 million. This proposal is directed at determining the feasibility of various marketing strategies for taro and taro-based value-added products, including import substitution strategies. Thereupon, a strategy of penetrating and gaining market share, in this predominantly foreign supplied domestic market, would be effectively researched and developed for Hawai'i's agricultural industry and its many small family-farms.