Coffee quality, price up (Kona)

Drought followed by heavy rains in Kona has led to a smaller crop of higher quality
Buyer hopes to revive Molokai coffee co.

Associated Press

KAILUA-KONA » There might be less coffee plucked from Hawaii trees this year, but it will be of excellent quality and prices are up, officials said last week.

The latest report from the Hawaii Agricultural Statistics Service indicates the statewide coffee production will be down 14 percent from last season's 8.3 million-pound harvest.

The projection of 7.1 million pounds is taken from the service's November survey, when 35 percent of the expected crop had been harvested, research statistician Ronald Nakamura said.

He cautioned that the latest numbers are only a projection for the 2004-2005 year and could change by the time the entire crop has been harvested.

While coffee is grown on several Hawaiian islands, a 15-mile strip of land through the Kona districts is home to more than 100 coffee farms.

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