Join in Q&A October 19

HAWAII—Online presentations of the 31st Hawaii International Tropical Fruit Conference are available free at htfg.org. Originally scheduled in person this week, the conference pivoted to all virtual presentations due to the recent surge of COVID-19.

“All the conference downloads are available and we invite members and the public to watch them and then participate in our lively Q&A 10 a.m. October 19,” says Ken Love, executive director of the statewide Hawaii Tropical Fruit Growers (HTFG), the non-profit orgranization that annually facilitates the conference. This is the second year the conference was presented in a virtual format. 

The title of the 2021 conference is “Mango Makers and Food Preservers.”  Videos and PowerPoints by researchers and agro experts are geared to farmers, educators, orchard managers and proponents of sustainable agriculture.  

Florida mango expert and keynote Stephen Brady offers a detailed, three-part presentation on mango culture and viewers can download a handy mango rating form. Also HTFG President Mark Suiso of Oʻahu’s Makaha Mangoes provides his fruit growing tips. 

Find a presentation by Jane Tai on “Demonstrating Value-Added Specialty Crops with Dehydration,” as well as an Agriculture Legislative Recap by Senator Mike Gabbard. Other reports include an Update on Distribution of BBTV-Resistant bananas, the latest information on the Avocado Lace Bug and a wide variety of videos from the Hawaii Ulu Cooperative in Kona.

The conference is made possible with the support of the Hawaii Department of Agriculture, County of Kauai and HTFG members from across the state.     

Questions? Contact Ken Love at [email protected] or Mark Suiso at [email protected].

Hawaii Tropical Fruit Growers

Marking its 32nd year, HTFG was incorporated in 1989 to promote tropical fruit grown in Hawaii. It is a statewide association of tropical fruit growers, packers, distributors and hobbyists dedicated to tropical fruit research, education, marketing and promotion; www.HTFG.org.