11-15-2012, 04:07 AM
quote:
Originally posted by kalakoa
I dare say the island economy needs either way more controls, or none at all.
Not sure that would be much effect on much larger problems. If the BI is shipping 40,000 cattle a year to the mainland, that is employing a lot of people on the north end. The problem is not enough nutrition with just island grass to make the meat marketable, requiring them to be shipped for finishing anyway. Maybe this new feed system will work. Plus, even if there were the slaughter houses to handle them, that is way more cattle than the island could consume. Just like with sugar cane and pineapple, the cost to transport produce off the island is not competitive with other places closer to bigger markets. For now, island beef is in strong demand on the mainland, so the owners continue to see profits running a cattle business this way, that is, unless there is an extended drought. Moving more to chicken, pork, fish and seafood kind of leaves the beef business worries to the owners.
*Japanese tourist on bus through Pahoa, "Is this still America?*