clucas-zenk@westhawaiitoday.com
BY CAROLYN LUCAS-ZENK | WEST HAWAII TODAY
Improvements to a Paauilo rendering plant and slaughterhouse are coming soon, thanks to the release of $4.15 million from the state to Hawaii County for planning, design, construction and equipment.
This was one of nine capital improvement projects benefiting from the more than $13 million Gov. Neil Abercrombie released Thursday with the aim of investing in the local agriculture industry and upgrading the state’s water irrigation infrastructure. The rendering plant and slaughterhouse received the largest allocation of funds.
Dutch Kuyper, Parker Ranch president and chief executive officer, expressed his gratitude for the support by the state and county for the beef processing facility, as well as the governor for his leadership.
“The scale of processing on Hawaii is critical for the ranches on the island to shift to a more sustainable business model. This has been a bottleneck thwarting the goal of producing more local beef for the Hawaii market,” Kuyper said. “From a sustainability perspective, we can deploy land assets to food production quicker than to energy. This will allow us to accelerate plans we have had in the works.”
Other funding includes $500,000 for renovating the existing water tunnel system in Ka’u, $2.5 million for improvements to state irrigation system reservoir and $1 million for a comprehensive statewide plan to inventory irrigation systems.
“Much of the state’s agricultural infrastructure is decades old, and it is important to maintain and upgrade them and keep them in service to Hawaii’s farmers, growers and ranchers, now and for the future,” said Russell Kokubun, Hawaii Board of Agriculture chairman.
The rendering plant and slaughterhouse will undergo building renovations, infrastructure improvements and equipment replacement, all intended to facilitate economic development of Hawaii Island’s beef industry.
Hawaii County Council Chairman Dominic Yagong said he was “extremely pleased” state officials supported this project. Farmers are trying to meet the demand for locally raised food, but often have to scale back expansion plans because local processors couldn’t handle any more animals. The cost of shipping livestock elsewhere for finishing and slaughter is also too expensive, he said.
These long-desired improvements will further help maintain the local grass-fed beef industry for local consumption and reach its full potential. It also increases the island’s food self-sufficiency, benefits the local economy and makes the facility more environmentally sound, Yagong said.
The rendering plant will also process the animal waste into useful by-products. The practice prior consisted of dumping the animal waste into the ground, Yagong said.
Mayor Billy Kenoi said the county is “very excited and thankful” about getting funds that will “help the viability and sustainability of the island’s beef industry.” It’s a testament to the many in government and the community who have worked hard to make this possible, Kenoi added.
Improvements to the Paauilo rendering plant and slaughterhouse will “go a long way for all the ranchers trying to get their animals to the market,” he said.
Hawaii County is also grateful for the $500,000 for Ka’u Irrigation System, which ensures the district will have access to water resources to continue diversifying its agricultural products, Kenoi said.
clucas-zenk@westhawaiitoday.com