Line 8 Waialua papayas can be eaten when the fruit is half ripe or yellowish green.
By Craig T. Kojima, Star-Bulletin

The Line 8 Waialua papaya is a cross between the Sunrise and Kapoho varieties, according to Jerry Vriesenga, president of Dole Food Co. Hawaii. On the market since early last month, the fruit has a orange flesh and its smooth taste resembles Sunrise's.

Furthermore, consumers can eat it when it's still half ripe, or yellowish green. Other advantages of the new Line 8 variety are it is large, picked daily, virus free and unfumigated.

"Right now we're doing in the neighborhood of 30,000 to 40,000 pounds a week," Vriesenga said. "We should be harvesting 100,000 pounds a week by the end of the year. It should mean some easing of papaya prices for island folks."

The company temporarily has run out of Dole fruit stickers; however, just be on the lookout for limited quantities of Line 8 Waialua papaya at Foodland, Star and Daiei. Safeway is featuring the papaya at 2 pounds for $1.

In other produce news, new-crop apples continue to be a produce headliner, with Fuji apples at five pounds for $2.47 at Sack N Save and $2.99 at Safeway, or 69 cents a pound at Star and 88 cents at Daiei.

Other produce highlights include Bartlett pears for 88 cents a pound at Daiei; Bosc pears for 99 cents at Times; and vitamin-packed mustard and white-stem cabbages for 99 cents at Foodland.

Munch healthful carrots at four pounds for a dollar at Times, and two pounds for 79 cents at IGH (Independent Grocers of Hawaii) stores.

Also, fresh mahimahi is $1.98 a pound at Daiei, boneless top sirloin beef costs $1.99 at Safeway, and boneless round steak is priced at $1.69 in Star Markets.