Entries Sought for Agricultural Business Plan Contest

An agricultural business plan contest is being held for island farmers, aspiring farmers and entrepreneurs looking to establish an agricultural business.

Entitled Mahi‘ai Match‐up, the contest is sponsored by Kamehameha Schools and Ke Ali‘i Pauahi Foundation.

Winners will receive an agricultural lease (up to five years of waived rent) from Kamehameha Schools and a cash prize from Ke Ali‘i Pauahi Foundation to help make their winning agricultural business plan a reality.

Contestants may submit a for-profit or not-for-profit business plan.

The contest is in line with Kamehameha Schools’ Strategic Agricultural Plan, which seeks to decrease the state’s dependence on imports and create a sustainable Hawai‘i.

Kamehameha Schools has already identified the parcels of land that will be available to lease as part of the contest.

Although the contest is being held statewide, nearly half the parcels of land available are on the Big Island.

On Hawaii Island, land parcels include 90 acres in Ka’u, 3.7- and 2.2-acre parcels in west Hawaii and two parcels totaling 9.5 acres in east Hawaii.

Kamehameha Schools manages 293,065 total acres of land on Hawai’i Island, of which 160,935 acres are zoned for agriculture and 132,130 acres are zoned for conservation.

In contrast, the school’s total acreage on all the other islands combined is 65,205 acres, four-and-a-half times less than what is available on the Big Island.

The deadline to submit a business plan proposal is July 1.

First round selection will be made by August 1, at which time finalists have three months to develop their comprehensive agricultural business plan. Winners will be announced in February 2014 at an awards gala.

To apply for Mahi‘ai Match‐up or for more information, visit http://www.pauahi.org/mahiaimatchup/index.html.