HAWAII— “Mango Makers and Food Preservers” is the title of the 31st Hawaii International Tropical Fruit Conference October 8-9 at the Maui County Business Resource Center. The 2021 conference will be both in-person and virtual and continue with mini-sessions and tours in Molokai, Oahu, Kauai, Hilo and Kona October 10-14. 

Geared to farmers, educators, orchard managers and proponents of sustainable agriculture, the multi-day conference is presented by the statewide Hawaii Tropical Fruit Growers (HTFG) and open to the public. Videos for 2021 presentations will be posted at htfg.org.  

The 2021 conference offers a lineup of visiting researchers and agro experts sharing information and leading engaging breakout sessions on a variety of fruit-related topics. Attendees will be able to log into discussions on the Tatura trellis system, avocados, advanced dehydration and canning methods, propagation techniques and unusual fruits with future economic potential.  

Steve Brady will give the keynote, “The World of Mangos” with Jane Tai and HTFG Executive Director Ken Love offering a presentation on “Processing and Utilizing Your Fruit to Develop Award-Winning, Value-Added Products.”  A tour with farmer Jordan Longman at the HTFG Repository will cover fruit fly trap making and pruning techniques utilized in Australia and Japan. 

A retired internist, Brady has been collecting and growing all sorts of tropical and exotic fruit for over six decades. He helped found the Naples Botanical Garden and was curator of its Tropical Fruit and Edible Plants Collection. A resident of the Sunshine State, Brady teaches an annual class on mangos for the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agriculture Science as well as training classes for master gardeners.

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

Registration forms and fee schedule are available at www.HTFG.org or by contacting Love at [email protected] or Mark Suiso at [email protected]. The Maui County Business Resource Center is  located at 110 Alaihi St. in Kahului.

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.