A farmer has shown interest in using several acres of Kapulena Agricultural Park to grow breadfruit, according to Hawaii County.
The orchard would be the first nonranching activity on the 1,739-acre property northwest of Honokaa since the county began seeking farming leases in mid-2012.
“He’s interested; we’re interested,” said Kevin Dayton, executive assistant to Mayor Billy Kenoi. “But there’s some logistics that have to be worked out.”
Jason Moniz, Hamakua Farm Bureau president, said the discussions revolve around 150 acres used most recently by ranchers.
The farm bureau has partnered with the county on managing the agriculture park.
The county acquired the land in 1994 in lieu of taxes from the bankrupt Hamakua Sugar Co. Rather than selling the property, the county in 2009 chose to seek farmer tenants to assist the agricultural community. Much of the land had been overgrown after being unused for years, with ironwood trees covering most of the acreage.
In 2012, the county invited ranchers to work some of the open land to knock down the tall grass.
An issue for the land has been the availability of water. A county line runs along the makai portion of the property — water would have to be pumped uphill to reach most of it.
The county plans to address that issue by constructing a 500,000-gallon reservoir, Moniz said. That will sit on a 200-acre fenced area on the mauka side.
Moniz said the reservoir would serve between 200 and 250 head of cattle.
Dayton said the reservoir, essentially a large catchment tank, will cost roughly $100,000 to build.
Construction could start next month, Moniz said.
Dayton said the county is still seeking agreements for removal of the ironwood trees.
Email Tom Callis at tcallis@hawaiitribune-herald.com.