Department of Agriculture

Statistics Released on May Egg Prices, Farm Labor, Farm Expenses and Land with Irrigation  

May 30, 2025
NR25-12

HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture (HDOA), Market News and Analysis Branch (MANB) has issued four statistical reports this week containing data on egg prices, farm labor, farm production expenses by industry type, and land with irrigation systems and equipment.

Honolulu Egg Prices for May 2025

• In Honolulu, the average retail price for a dozen large locally produced eggs dropped 5.6% to $9.04 from $9.58 in April.
• The price of mainland eggs dropped 16.5% from $9.32 in April to $7.78 in May.

The full report may be viewed at: https://hdoa.hawaii.gov/add/files/2025/05/Honolulu-Egg-Prices-May-2025.pdf

Farm Labor Statistics, First Half of 2025

• The total number of hired farm workers in Hawai‘i has remained steady at 5,000, with no change observed since October 2022.
• The average hourly wage was $18.74 – $20.08 in 2025, compared with the 2024 average of $17.25 – 18.74.
• The number of farm workers with H-2A visas for the first half of the U.S. fiscal year 2025 was 296, a 32% increase compared 225 workers during the same period in the previous year. (The H-2A visa is a temporary visa for agricultural workers from foreign countries when there is a shortage of domestic labor.)

The full report may be viewed at: https://hdoa.hawaii.gov/add/files/2025/05/Farm-Labor-Stats-2025_1st-Half_05.27.2025.pdf

Farm Production Expenses by Industry 2022

• In 2022, Hawai‘i’s fruit and tree nut industry incurred $154.2 million in total farm production expenses for the industry’s 2,688 farms, averaging about $57,400 per farm. In contrast, the oilseed and grain industry incurred $101.9 million in total farm production expenses for the industry’s 12 farms, averaging $8.5 million in expenses per farm.
• Labor costs constituted the largest expense for crop-based industries, while feed costs were the largest expense for the livestock industry.

The full report may be viewed at: https://hdoa.hawaii.gov/add/files/2025/05/Farm-Production-Expenses-2022_05.27.2025.pdf

Statistics on Land with Irrigation Systems or Equipment 2022

• In 2022, only 41,850 acres were irrigated.
• About 79% of cropland, 65% of harvested cropland and 12% of pasturelands had irrigation systems or equipment.
• Hawai‘i County had the highest number of farms with irrigation systems, followed by Maui, O‘ahu and Kaua‘i. (Hawai‘i County has the largest number of farms in the state.)

The full report may be viewed at: https://hdoa.hawaii.gov/add/files/2025/05/Irrigation-Status-by-Acres-and-Operations-for-2022-May-2025.pdf

More agriculture-related statistics may be found at: https://hdoa.hawaii.gov/add/market-analysis-news-branch/

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