Hawai'i's commercial production of beef and milk rose in March from the same month a year earlier, while pork and egg production declined, according to the local office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Beef output totaled 654,000 pounds in March, up 15 percent from March 2008, and 9 percent more than February. The year-over-year rise was attributed to increases in both the total slaughter, up 11 percent to 1,000 head, and the average weight per animal, up 11 percent to 1,221 pounds. Parker Ranch is Hawai'i's biggest cattle producer, with 30,000 to 35,000 head of cattle.

Hawai'i's dairy cows produced 1.8 million pounds of milk in March, up 20 percent from March 2008, and 13 percent more than February.

Pork production totaled 235,000 pounds in March, down 10 percent from March 2008, but up 11 percent from February. Egg production totaled 5.9 million in March, down 9 percent from a year earlier but up 13 percent from February.

TACO DEL MAR OPENING IN KONA

Taco Del Mar plans to open its 10th Hawai'i restaurant this month at the new Kona Commons shopping center on the Big Island.

The franchised chain last week opened its first store on Maui at the Maui Mall, and this month also added a location at Pearlridge Center on O'ahu.

Taco Del Mar was established in 1992 in Seattle, and expanded to Hawai'i with its first store in November 2006 at Kunia Shopping Center.

KAPOLEI CLEANUP GETS $200,000

The state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands is receiving $200,000 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to help clean up a pesticide mixing and loading area in East Kapolei.

The award is part of about $112 million in grants made available by the EPA through its Brownfields program and an infusion from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed by President Obama in February.