Macadamia Nuts in Hawaii: History and Production - ctahr ...

With visions of becoming the largest producer
of macadamia nuts, C. Brewer and Co., Ltd.,
purchased Castle & Cooke's operation at Keaau
in 1974. With an operation also in Guatemala,
and with more than 5000 acres in production, C.
Brewer is now the largest producer of macadamia
nuts in the world.
In 1974 Paul and Anita DeDomenico, formerly
with Ghirardelli Chocolate and Rice-a-Roni,
leased the Hawaiian Holiday operations at Haina,
Hawaii. The DeDomenicos have developed an
excellent marketing system at their factory in
Haina with outlets in Waikiki, Maui, and Hong
Kong. The DeDomenicos are now financially
backing further nut plantings in Kohala on land
leased from Castle & Cooke and the Bond Estate.
Mamoru Takitani, president and proprietor of
Hawaiian Host Candy and formerly of Maui, who
first started his improvised macadamia candy business
in the a ttic a t his fa ther's soda works building
on Maui about 30 years ago, is now the operator of
the largest chocolate-coated macadamia-nut-candy
business in Hawaii and California. He purchases
his nuts from growers in Hilo and Kona. He processes
them in Honolulu and markets them
especially as gift items in Hawaii and Japan.
Takitani is now establishing a plantation in
Brazil to take advantage of the generous aid tha t
country gives to foreign investments. Takitani
also recently received approval from the Hawaii
Island Planning Commission to construct a nut
processing factory in Kona.
Several others who played a prominent part in
this period and should be mentioned are Joe
Kamigaki of Honaunau, Tatsumi Oue and his
brothers of K. Oue, Ltd., in Kealakekua, the late
Kenneth Bond of Kohala, Martin Sebastian and
the late Fred Erskine of Honokaa, Francis
Takahashi of Kauai, factory development expert
Harold Tengan from Hilo, and John Cross of
Royal Hawaiian's Keaau Orchard.
During this period, the research contributions
of the Hawaii Agricultural Experiment Station
were tremendous. They covered the range from the
earliest stages of macadamia nut cultivation to the
ultimate use of the product. Space does not permit
a more detailed account of these contributions;
suffice to say that the HAES staff has played a
major role in the successful development of the
macadamia nut industry in Hawaii.
Special recognition, however, must be given to
Richard M. Bullock (Fig. 28), formerly assistant
Figure 27. Richard A. Cooke, project leader of C. Brewer's land utili­
U1tion and Ka'u macadamia nut venlure. He also is credited
with the organization of the Hawaii Macadamia
Producers Association and, as president, led the group for
the initial five years to solidify the organization and the
industry into a potent unit in Hawaiian agriculture.
Figure 28. Richard M. Bullock, former chairman of the Macadamia
Nut Task Force at the College of Tropical Agriculture,
who laid the foundation for the industry analysis system
now in effect in Hawaiian agriculture.
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