Hawaii’s last sugar mill wraps up final harvest

The only remaining sugar mill in Hawaii is ending its final harvest. “Hawaii produced over a million tons of sugar per year for over 50 years. At one time that was 20 percent of all the sugar that was consumed in the United States,” said Robert Osgood, a retired consultant for the Hawaii Agriculture Research Center and co-author of “From King Cane to the Last Sugar Mill.” Sugar farms in Hawaii have closed or consolidated, and competition has increased worldwide. Alexander & Baldwin reported an operating loss of about $30 million in agribusiness in 2015. The company also faced battles over water rights and the public health effects of burning cane leaves.