Hawaiçi farmers grew and harvested a smaller crop of avocado last year, but record high prices helped keep the value of the industry at its second-highest level in five years.

The National Agricultural Statistics Service estimated that the state’s avocado crop was a $730,000 business last year, which was down from $789,000 the year before but still higher than the three previous years when the industry value ranged from $466,000 to $694,000.
The agency said some 250 farms had 400 acres planted in avocado, which was up slightly from prior years, but only 330 acres bore fruit, down from 350 acres a year earlier.
Dry weather and uneven rains led to less fruit per acre — 3,000 pounds last year compared with 3,300 pounds a year earlier — that led to overall lower production at 1 million pounds compared with 1.16 million pounds.
The average price paid to farmers was 73 cents last year, up from 68 cents in each of the prior two years.