blues for the hawaiian pineapple

(elvis visits a dole pineapple plantion and stops for a photo op with workers during the filming of "blue hawaii." 1961.)

del monte has decided to stop growing pineapples in hawaii.

it probably isn't surprising to hear that it is cheaper to grow pineapples abroad rather than in our pacific island state, but it is stilldisappointing that a huge corporation like del monte would decide that because it would be "cheaper to buy pineapples on the open market" they would stop growing their own.

what it means in terms of layoffs:
700 people will lose their jobs.

what it might mean for the future of the hawaiian pineapple industry?

well, dole has stated they will continue to grow the crop on their 3000 acres, despite the fact that the "cost structures are high" because the believe that the demand for hawaiian grown pineapple remains high.
and maui pineapple has reportedly expressed some interest in the del monte property.

but some locals and labor experts are rightly concerned that del monte's decision could mark the beginning of the end for the pineapple industry in hawaii:

The scene in Kunia this week, with a company executive announcing the planned closure to hundreds of plantation employees, was eerily similar to ones over the decades involving the dying sugar cane industry, which also cited the high cost of doing business in Hawaii...
Hawaii's once thriving sugar cane industry is barely a presence now as companies found it cheaper to operate elsewhere.
Tens of thousands of acres of former sugar cane fields on the densely populated island of Oahu, where about 75 percent of the state's 1.3 million population reside, have since been developed into master-planned residential communities and shopping centers.

should the industry not survive, we will truly be buying "halakahiki"--the hawaiian word for pineapple--which ironically means "foreign fruit."

so, buy DOLE.
and, if you can find it, buy MAUI PINEAPPLE.

keep the hawaiian pineapple industry thriving!

anyway...in keeping with the hawaiian spirit, here's my weekend recommendation:
rent the blue hawaii DVD.

elvis stars as "chad gates," a dilettante whose parents are pressuring him to "grow up" and take over the family business, which happens to be the (fictional) great southern hawaiian fruit company. but chad has his own ideas...

angela landsbury plays his mom.

intrigued?

you can check out the fabulous 60s wahine wear. and just try to sit still during "rock-a hula baby." and try not to guffaw when elvis gets thrown in the slammer after a bar fight, and is forced to sing the lyrics:

"now i'm a kissin cousin, to a ripe pineapplee...i'm in the can."

awesome awesome stuff.