The Hawaii State and Pacific Basin Farm Service Agency (FSA) supports the agricultural community throughout the Pacific. The state of Hawaii is an island chain of 137 islands, encompassing an area of 6,422 square miles often described as the most isolated archipelago in the world. There are eight main islands with FSA having county offices on the four most populated islands of Oahu, Big Island of Hawaii, Maui, and Kauai. The state office is on the island of Oahu, in Honolulu, the state capital. Hawaii is approximately 2600 miles from the mainland's west coast.
Here in the islands, our warm sub-tropical weather provides for an agricultural environment which is very unique and highly diversified. We still have some sugar and pineapple plantations, but for the most part they are no longer covering the vast parcels of land that they once did.
Today Hawaii farmers produce a large variety of crops and commodities, reducing our dependence upon mainland imports for our food supply. Exotic tropical fruits and Asian vegetables not common on the mainland are also very popular in local markets. The Hawaii State Farm Service Agency strives to serve these unique agricultural communities with farm programs and low-interest loans.
Rueben Flores
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