August 20, 2014 - Volume 30, Issue 33
The
Molokai Dispatch The Export Expert T h e i s l a n d ’s n e w s s o u r c e s i n c e 1985
Fall Sports at the Ready
By Bianca Moragne | Staff Writer
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ummer may be behind us, but there’s plenty to look forward to this fall on the Molokai High School (MHS) sports scene. The Farmers will compete in four fall sports and all of the teams are entering their season with high hopes.
Football Months of offseason workouts, weightlifting and training are coming into play as Molokai High’s eight-man football team begins practice this season. In 2012, MHS football became a Maui Interscholastic League (MIL)sanctioned sport for the first time in 50 years. Since then, six teams have joined the eight-man playing field and the MIL will be welcoming its newest additions, Lanai and Kihei Charter schools, this year. The MIL has also instituted a new playoff system culminating in a championship game at War Memorial Stadium in Wailuku on Nov. 6. Football Coach Mike Kahale said he’s excited about the new teams joining and looks forward to the upcoming season. He said he hopes to grow the sport of eight-man football and get to play against other non-league opponents in the future. Three schools on Hawaii Island are looking to field eight-man teams soon, Kahale said. “This is awesome because it lends credibility to what we've been trying to accomplish the last five years,” Kahale said. “The opportunity to play this great sport should be afforded to everyone. We've overcome tremendous challenges and ob-
Sports Continued pg. 2
By Catherine Cluett | Editor-In-Chief
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or Molokai food or product producers wanting to sell their goods on an international scale, the Pacific regional office of the U.S. Department of Commerce may be the lucky break they’re waiting for. John Holman, director of the office based in Honolulu, shared valuable tips and connections with local producers last week. “Our mission is to help U.S. companies grow international exports,” said Holman, speaking at an Export Seminar hosted by the Molokai Chamber of Commerce last Friday. “I have been working with a few companies here on Molokai for a few years. We can definitely do business from here.” He said by marketing internationally, you are reaching 95 percent of the world’s consumers, the percentage that live outside the U.S. Additionally, taking that leap can help you diversify your client base, keep up with the competition and make use of free-trade agreements that make selling in many foreign countries relatively simple. And while many people associate international marketing with large corporations, Holman said 97 percent of U.S. exporters
are small business, classified as having under 500 employees, and 75 percent of exporters have 20 employees. As a state, Hawaii’s top exports are tourism services, cosmetics or skin care, education or training, environmental technologies, and agriculture and processed foods. The last category includes coffee, papaya, seafood and the state’s number one export product – bottled water, according to Holman.
Gearing Up for Business
For Molokai businesses, taking the step to sell internationally can be an important one. Seminar attendees Sue and Jim Schelinski of Molokai Wildlife Management, a deer farm in partnership with hunter and deer rancher Desmond Manaba, said they found the talk very helpful. “I think the key is going to be export,” said Jim Schelinski. “We need to get into it. It’s taken two years, but I think we’re International Markets ready.” Navigating a complex international Their business currently markets to brokers on Maui, Oahu and Hawaii Island market with so many countries to choose – and also supplies venison to Molokai resExport Continued pg. 2 taurants. Sue Schelinski said the business
Beautiful and Dangerous
This Week’s
Dispatch
By Catherine Cluett | Editor-In-Chief move it.
S
ome plants growing in your garden may be beautiful, but as invasive species, threaten native vegetation and could potentially lead to damage of native forests. Such is the case for Kahili Ginger, a species of decorative plant that local experts say is coveted for its large flowers but in fact is highly invasive. “If it gets out of control [in a garden] and into the natives forests, we can lose thousands of acres of forests [as seen on other islands],” said Lance De Silva, forest management supervisor for the Division of Forestry and Wildlife on Maui, who regularly comes to Molokai to assist with invasive species control. “It out-competes everything and can be devastating.” Molokai Maui Invasive Species Committee (MoMISC) Field Coordinator Lori Buchanan calls Kahili Ginger one of the top 10 invasive species in the state. That’s why she’s asking Molokai residents who may have the plant growing in their garden or yard to re-
“It’s an old time favorite, and sought after because of its pretty flowers that come in salmon, white and yellow,” Buchanan said. “[But] we want people to stop planting it and take it out.” Kahili Ginger can be distinguished from regular ginger by its large, showy flowerets and leaves and its thick stems. While regular ginger spreads only by its roots, part of the danger of the so-called Kahili variety is it can also spread by seed. Its flowers mature into seeds and can multiply rapidly. While other islands have had thousands of acres taken over by the plant, Molokai has only one, known wild population of about 10 acres in Wailau Valley, according to De Silva. He is assisting MoMISC by obtaining funds and workers to remove it. He said he was able to secure $85,000 in state funds for the job, and over the next year, eight to 10 field workers will be coming to Molokai eight times for one week at a time. During those periods, they will be
also supports local hunters, and its intent is not to irradiate deer but to protect them as a resource and benefit for Molokai. Holman supported Jim Schelinski statement that “being ready” for export is important. He said there are a few questions to ask yourself before launching into international sales. Domestic success is a good prerequisite, because foreign buyers prefer working with businesses with a solid track record of local sales. Production capacity is also important to consider, to determine whether you can meet the increased demand of over-seas orders, he said. Financial resources, commitment to managing international accounts, knowhow, and forming a plan for international business are also key in successful export. Holman suggested that before going international, “beef up your online presence to sell your products through your website – a good chance to test the markets.”
Filling in the Gaps at Kalaupapa
Kahili Ginger conducting ground control operations of the Wailau Kahili Ginger. In addition to covering the helicopters cost for transportation of the people and equipment, the funds De Silva secured have been used to purchase gear specifically for the Molokai project. That will ensure that other invasive spe-
Ginger Continued pg. 3
Mobile Unit to Renew Expired Transport Credentials Pg. 2
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The
Molokai Dispatch
P.O. Box 482219 Kaunakakai, HI 96748
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Abbie Kaaawa Molokai Born & Raised