Hawaii Tropical Fruit Growers Conference

The 26th Annual Hawaii International Tropical Fruit Conference is Sept. 30 to Oct. 7, starting at the Kauai Beach Resort and then traveling to O‘ahu, Moloka‘i, Hilo and Kona for mini-conferences.

Register before Aug. 1 to pay the discounted entry fee of $50. Visit HTFG.org to register with PayPal. Conference and membership forms can also be found on the website.

Geared to farmers, educators, orchard managers and proponents of sustainable agriculture, the eight-day event is presented by the statewide Hawaii Tropical Fruit Growers and open to the public.

The conference, titled “Achieving Critical Mass,” will offer a lineup of visiting researchers and agro experts sharing information and breakout sessions on a variety of topics.

The experts include Dr. John Yonemoto on “Growing and Harvesting the Best Avocados!” and “Increasing Production,” Diane Ragone on “Ulu,” Robert Paull on “Harvest and Post-Harvest” and Peter Follett on “Market Access: Getting Fruit Approved and Shipped Out of State.”

HTFG Executive Director Ken Love said Kaua‘i activities include USDA and NASS updates, a report and survey on specialty crops, Sunday tours with Scott Sloan of the National Tropical Botanical Garden, networking and fruit tasting.

Registration forms and fee schedule are available at www.HTFG.org or by contacting Love at kenlove@hawaiiantel.net or Mark Suiso at suiso@aloha.net.

HTFG was incorporated in 1989 to promote tropical fruit grown in Hawai‘i. It is a statewide association of tropical fruit growers, packers, distributors and hobbyists dedicated to tropical fruit research, education, marketing and promotion.