Hawai'i's agricultural interests are naturally concerned about a proposal — now before the U.S. Department of Agriculture — that would allow increased imports of so-called specialty fruits from Thailand into the United States.

The primary fear is competition. Thailand subsidizes these fruit growers, and the overall cost of production in Thailand is substantially cheaper than it is in Hawai'i.

The easy answer is to keep the cheaper fruit out. But that's not a long-term solution.

Hawai'i has had plenty of experience with this form of "globalization," some of it led by our own home-grown industries.

Sugar and pineapple companies learned years ago that it was cheaper to grow the products developed and researched here in overseas locations.

The drift to cheaper labor and cheaper land seems inevitable.

Rather than insisting on arbitrary barriers to the import of fruits such as rambutan and longan, the best approach would be to take on the competition head-on.

For instance, despite the migration of mass pineapple production (particularly for canning) to other countries, Hawai'i maintains a diminished but viable fresh pineapple business, driven largely by proximity to Mainland markets and our enviable brand name.

The same approach could apply in the exotic fruit business.

There is no way to understate the value of the "Hawai'i" brand name. Fresh, just-picked, high-quality fruit from the clean, environmentally attractive Hawaiian Islands can and should command a premium price.

The key is marketing and branding. And the time for a full-fledged effort on these fronts is now, before the flood of foreign fruit hits our shores.