Hawai'i sugarcane production for the 2008 growing season was expected to be 1.67 million tons, up 7 percent from 1.56 million tons in 2007, according to the local field office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Sugarcane growers in the state had planned to harvest 22,000 acres last year, down slightly from 22,900 acres the year before. Yield was forecast at 75.8 tons per acre, up from 68.3 tons per acre in 2007.

Hawai'i's yield per acre is dramatically higher than that of the three other sugar-producing states, Florida, Texas and Louisiana. Texas last year was second to Hawai'i in yield with a forecast of 39.8 tons per acre.

Total U.S. sugarcane production for 2008 was forecast at 29.8 million tons, down less than 1 percent from 30 million tons in 2007. Production was lower only in Louisiana, where effects of Hurricane Gustav contributed to a reduction in yield by 3.4 tons per acre while the area harvested declined to 405,000 acres from 420,000 acres.