A new crop of workers

Displaced Del Monte employees are finding new opportunities with Hawaii-based seed companies

At least 100 former Del Monte workers have been hired by multinational seed companies such as Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Monsanto and Syngenta.

Despite opposition from environmentalists and organic farmers, the seed business is one of the fastest- growing agricultural industries in Hawaii. It already has surpassed the longtime staple of sugar in crop value and is closing in on pineapple.

The seed industry was worth an estimated $70 million in the 2005-2006 season, and is still growing. In 2005, pineapple was worth an estimated $79.3 million, seed crops worth $70.4 million and sugarcane worth $58.8 million, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service.

GROWING INDUSTRY The seed industry has surpassed sugar in crop value and is catching up with pineapple. $79.2 million: Pineapples $70.4 million: Seed crops $58.8 million: Unprocessed sugarcane Source: National Agricultural Statistics Office

Some 8,000 acres of agricultural land are set aside in Hawaii for seed breeding, pumping $144 million of economic activity into the state annually, according to the Hawaii Crop Improvement Association.

But the story can best be told, perhaps, through the migration of Hawaii's labor force to multinational biotech companies based here.

Del Monte Fresh Produce Hawaii Inc. announced in November it was shuttering its pineapple operations immediately, laying off all workers in January, rather than phasing them out by the end of 2008.

Biotech companies such as Pioneer, Monsanto and Syngenta were on hand at a Dec. 13 job fair specifically held to assist the 551 displaced workers.

The fair, organized by the state Department of Labor, drew more than 50 employers that ran the gamut, from Zippy's to Aloha Airlines and Oahu Transit Service.

The biotech companies were looking to hire because they have plenty of positions to fill, and many, having discovered Hawaii's ability to grow crops year-round, are considering expanding.

You're hired

Apparently, dozens of Del Monte workers already have made the switch from picking and packing pineapples to detasseling corn and sorting soybean seeds.

In Kunia, Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc. has hired about 70 former Del Monte workers -- both seasonal and year-round, according to Cindy Goldstein, business and community outreach manager.

Worldwide, Pioneer grows alfalfa, canola, corn, sorghum, soybeans, sunflower, wheat and crop protection products. In Hawaii, the focus is mostly on corn and soybeans.

On leased agricultural lands in both Kunia and Waialua, Pioneer's focus is on developing new parents for corn hybrids, which are sold to farmers across the United States. It also has a station on Kauai.

Pioneer was at the job fair, but many workers also have come to the company over the year through word of mouth, seeking jobs. She said the pay and benefits at Pioneer are comparable, if not better, than that offered by Del Monte.

The positions filled range the gamut -- from field workers to equipment operators, seed sorters, technical work and management. Del Monte workers appear to be fitting the bill because of their agricultural experience.

"The way we do our pollination is very hands-on and detail oriented," Goldstein said. "We found the Del Monte workers we've hired and trained to be very good at working with plants in the field."

Likewise, Syngenta, which focuses on corn and soybean seeds on 600 acres leased from Campell Estate in Kunia, also has hired from 35 to 40 former Del Monte workers to fill empty positions.

"It's harder than it has been in the past to find good workers," said Paul Stewart, Oahu station manager.

Stewart says Syngenta recently hired research associates, technicians, field workers, pollinators, even birdwatchers -- responsible for shooing birds away from the crops.

Most of the positions the former Del Monte workers have taken are seasonal, according to Stewart.

The busiest season begins this month, December, and lasts until the end of March. The next peak comes in mid-summer, when he'll be looking to hire a total of 85 to 90 total positions.

Monsanto, which has four locations -- on the North Shore of Oahu, on Maui, Molokai and Kauai -- also is hoping to fill its open positions.

Paul Koehler, manager of scientific and community affairs, said Monsanto is in the process of interviewing potential hires, with a few candidates in mind.

Monsanto needs between 20 and 25 seasonal employees for the winter period that lasts from now to March. The majority of full-time positions, however, are on outer islands.

"We found out a number of the (former Del Monte workers) are interested in employment, but many of them are not as interested in relocating," he said.

Many of the positions are on Maui and Molokai.

Part of the challenge may have to do with housing, he said, which is expensive on the Valley Isle.

Former Del Monte workers and families are still sheltered in some 120 low-rent homes in Kunia -- which Del Monte controls until its lease with Campbell Estate expires in December 2008.

Ninety-five percent of Monsanto's Hawaii crops are focused on corn seeds, though a small percentage of the seeds are set aside for soybeans and sunflowers.

Controversy continues

While seed crops are economically positioned to surpass pineapple (especially with Del Monte pulling out), they are not welcomed by some factions in Hawaii.

Organic farmers and environmentalists continue to battle the existence of biotech companies in Hawaii, which they say is potentially destructive and damaging.

Paul Achitoff, an attorney with Earthjustice, has filed lawsuits alleging the government's failure to properly regulate crop engineering. He says these new crops have not been properly tested.

"Our concerns are that the crops being developed are not tested for their effect on human health, the environment or on endangered species," Achitoff said.

"Our concern is that they have potentially harmful effects on the workers, on the public and the rest of the environment."

He added that the companies are secretive about what they grow and where they grow it, and that organic farmers near these seed crops bear the risk of cross-contamination.

"I think everyone wants people to be employed," Achitoff said. "But there are certainly jobs that are desirable and jobs that are not desirable for society, particularly for Hawaii."

However, Sandra Lee Kunimoto, chair of the state Department of Agriculture, did not share these views.

"I think it's terrific that the seed industry, as well as many agricultural industries, have been able to come forward and offer jobs," she said. "There are a wide variety of positions in this industry that brings high-quality jobs."

She said Hawaii is well-positioned, because of its climate, to take advantage of this niche, with room for future growth.

"Our climate and our weather can turn the generations a lot faster," she said. "We can grow three crops a year here ... and for over 30 years, (biotech companies) have known that."

When it comes to regulating crop research, she said the department complies with federal regulations and permits.

"The seed business is a big business here," said Stewart of Syngenta. "It's gaining momentum because this is one of the few places where you can grow year-round."