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COUNTY [TRENDS] PROFILE <br /> The County of Hawaii encompasses the island of Hawaii, which is the southeasternmost <br /> and largest island of the Hawaiian archipelago. The land area of the County is approximately <br /> twice [that] the combined land area of all the other islands of the State. <br /> The island of Hawaii has a diverse climate, topography[,] and scenic beauty. <br /> Environments [range from] include dense tropical forests; majestic snowcapped mountains; active <br /> volcanoes; black, white, and green sand beaches; deeply eroded valleys; and large expanses of <br /> grazing land. Each [of the districts provide] district provides a variety of settings for human <br /> activity, land and resource utilization, or wilderness areas of minimal human intrusion. <br /> The County of Hawaii has expanded into new fields of industrv such as astronomy <br /> h~? <br /> h technoloev, renewable energy health and wellness agricultural and eco-tourism <br /> diversified agriculture and aauaculture. The County's continuing support of research and <br /> development in these emerging fields will ensure a promising future for the island's economv <br /> and its residents. Specific examples include the establishment of the Agricultural Research <br /> Center of the Pacific, conversion of the old sewer treatment plant near Puhi Bav in Hilo to <br /> an aauaculture facility, and the construction of an agricultural water system in Ka'u <br /> The County's overall economic outlook remains mixed due to the County's <br /> dependence on the condition of the State's economv. Since 1990 the State's economv has <br /> been in a period of decline. While there are opportunities for expansion into new and <br /> existing industries, external factors such as the world economv may have an impact on the <br /> County's future economv. <br /> Agriculture] Throughout the County's history. agriculture has played an important role <br /> in the County's economy [throughout its history]. In the late I700's, [Hawaii] Hawaii's <br /> agricultural industrv began by provisioning ships. During the 1800's, sugar production and <br /> cattle ranching emerged as leaders of the modern agricultural industry. These industries <br /> dominated the island's economy and social fabric well into the 1900s. The 1980's and 1990's saw <br /> the demise of sugar cultivation and the steady decline in cattle production These once <br /> dominant industries have been replaced by fully diversified agriculture including flowers <br /> and nursery products, coffee, macadamia nuts, tropical fruits vegetable crops orchards <br /> aauaculture, and forestry. Import replacement and expansion of export products and <br /> markets are increasing. The three leading agricultural industries within the County are <br /> flowers and nursery products, vegetables, and macadamia nuts Combined these three <br /> agricultural industries accounted for over 50 per cent of the total value of agricultural <br /> production in the County in 1997. When compared statewide the County of Hawaii <br /> produces 35 per cent of fresh vegetables 72 per cent of bananas 30 per cent of coffee 95 per <br /> cent of macadamia nuts and 51 per cent of flowers and nursery products Agriculture's <br /> future remains favorable with the strong diversification and development of new export <br /> protocol and technoloev. <br /> Sugar, ranching and diversified agriculture continues to be an integral part of the County's <br /> <br /> economy. Commercial growing of nearly every tropical and semi-tropical product have been <br /> 12 <br /> Introduction <br /> <br />