Eggs

Overview

Egg production has a storied history in Hawaiʻi, and on Hawaiʻi Island it remains a visible if modest agricultural activity. A mix of small commercial layer farms and numerous backyard flocks produce fresh eggs for local consumption. While the Hawaiʻi Island’s egg output is relatively low (the island had about 10,218 laying hens in 2022), there is growing consumer demand for island eggs due to their freshness and to reduce reliance on imports. The sector includes one medium-sized egg farm and many micro-producers who sell eggs at farmers’ markets or farm stands. Statewide, Hawaiʻi has been heavily dependent on imported eggs for decades, but recent investments and initiatives aim to rebuild local egg capacity.

Production and Operations

On Hawaiʻi Island, egg farming ranges from family-run operations with a few hundred hens to backyard coops with a few dozen layers. According to the 2022 Ag Census, Hawaiʻi County’s layers numbered just over 10,000, indicating perhaps a handful of farms with 500–1,000 hens and many smaller units. Common breeds for brown egg production (like Hy-Line and Golden Comet) are favored, as well as heritage breeds in small flocks. Birds are typically kept in outdoor runs or pastured systems, often cage-free. One notable operation on the Hawaiʻi Island has been an egg farm in the Waimea area (once a cooperative) that maintained several thousand hens, supplying local supermarkets; however, much of the state’s commercial egg production historically was on Oahu. In fact, so few large egg producers existed by 2011 that USDA stopped publishing detailed Hawaiʻi egg stats to avoid revealing proprietary data. At that time, only 65.5 million eggs were produced statewide – a fraction of Hawaiʻi’s consumption – and production subsequently declined further as older farms closed. On Hawaiʻi Island today, aside from one or two farms with a few thousand layers, most eggs come from very small farms for local sales.

Feeding and managing layers in Hawaiʻi is challenging due to feed import costs and predation. Farmers contend with mongooses and hawks preying on free-range hens and egg-eating pests like rats if coops aren’t secure. To maximize output, even “free-range” operations typically provide commercial layer mash (imported feed), sometimes supplemented by other items (vegetable scraps, moringa leaves, black soldier fly larvae from compost). Molting cycles and Hawaiʻi’s climate (shorter day lengths in winter at 20°N latitude still affect laying rates) require careful flock management to ensure year-round production. Some producers stagger chick batches to have different ages of hens, maintaining more consistent lay rates. Given the scale, technological investments are modest – most Hawaiʻi Island egg farms collect eggs by hand and use simple wash and pack stations, rather than the automated conveyor belts of mainland egg factories.

Market and Data

The market for local eggs on Hawaiʻi Island is robust relative to the supply. Locally produced eggs often sell out quickly. Consumers are willing to pay a premium; a dozen Hawaiʻi Island eggs might sell for $7–$9, compared to $4–$5 for mainland eggs (prices that have fluctuated, especially during the 2022 avian flu outbreak on the mainland). The price gap partly reflects that mainland eggs benefit from economies of scale, where producers can supply eggs under $5/dozen, whereas Hawaiʻi’s small producers face higher costs and thus charge more. Retailers like KTA Super Stores and Island Naturals often label local eggs specially, and some have arrangements with island farmers to stock their eggs when available. Despite these efforts, Hawaiʻi Island still imports a majority of its eggs from Oahu or the mainland. The local egg supply does make a difference during disruptions: for example, when imported egg shipments are delayed, stores lean on any available local eggs.

In 2022, a large new farm on Oahu (Villa Rose/Waialua Egg Farm) began operations with the goal of housing up to 1 million cage-free hens. While this is not on Hawaiʻi Island, it affects the Hawaiʻi Island’s egg sector by potentially flooding the state with local eggs in the near future, stabilizing prices. The Villa Rose farm’s plan projects that Hawaiʻi’s population could be fully supplied by Hawaiʻi-grown eggs if they reach capacity. Such a development might outpace Hawaiʻi Island’s smaller producers, but it also raises overall food security. It’s worth noting that Villa Rose was a decade-long project, and it had to overcome four major hurdles identified for Hawaiʻi livestock: feed, waste management, land, and regulations. These same hurdles apply to Hawaiʻi Island egg farms. For example, waste management for even a few thousand hens means dealing with significant manure; some innovative solutions include converting manure to biochar, as the Villa Rose farm does by incinerating litter into a charcoal fertilizer. On the Hawaiʻi Island, smaller scale solutions like deep-litter composting in coops or distributing manure to local farmers for fertilizer are common.

Value-Added and Niche Markets

Many Hawaiʻi Island egg producers differentiate their products as organic, soy-free, or pasture-raised to capture niche markets. One farm might feed an organic, non-GMO ration and market “organic Hawaiʻi Island eggs,” while another might allow hens to roam coffee orchards and label eggs as “forest-raised.” These narratives add value and help justify higher prices. Additionally, a few entrepreneurs offer egg subscriptions or CSA add-ons, where customers receive a set number of local egg dozens per week, ensuring a steady market for the farmer. There’s also a budding cottage industry of pickled eggs (often utilizing surplus small or stained eggs that can’t be sold as grade A) and salted duck eggs, catering to ethnic cuisines. 4-H clubs on the island engage youth in egg production as well, and their project eggs are sometimes sold within the community, subtly contributing to supply and educating the next generation of poultry farmers.

Market Trends and Competitiveness

Industry Revitalization

The overall trend in Hawaiʻi’s egg sector is one of cautious revitalization after decades of decline. According to Honolulu Civil Beat, Hawaiʻi’s egg production was so concentrated and low by 2011 that publishing output data was discontinued by USDA. Since then, the state (with Oahu in the lead) has recognized eggs as a strategic commodity for local food production. For Hawaiʻi Island, this means potential support and investment could flow into expanding layer flocks. The Villa Rose egg farm on Oahu, which started selling eggs in 2021, demonstrates that large-scale, modern egg production can be attempted in Hawaiʻi, albeit with major backing (mainland partners Hidden Villa Ranch and Rose Acre Farms, and significant capital). As reported by Civil Beat, Villa Rose’s entry is intended to “replace Hawaiʻi’s need for mainland eggs” in the long run. If it succeeds, Hawaiʻi could dramatically reduce imports and even have surplus capacity. The Hawaiʻi Island’s role in this new landscape might be to serve niche and regional markets while the giant Oahu farm handles base-load demand.

Challenges

The “four hurdles” identified by poultry expert Michael Duponte – feed, waste, land, regulations – continue to shape competitiveness. Feed costs remain the number one challenge. Feed imports mean local eggs will almost always cost more than mainland eggs; however, any developments that lower feed costs will directly improve viability. There are ongoing efforts to start a feed mill on Hawaiʻi Island (a planned facility in Hilo was discussed as far back as 2010, envisioned to use local ingredients). While that specific mill did not become fully operational at commercial scale by 2012 as hoped, the concept persists and has renewed interest with local feed trials (such as algae and distiller grains for layer rations). Waste management and biosecurity are also critical. Egg farms produce concentrated manure; environmental regulations in Hawaiʻi are strict to prevent runoff that could pollute waterways. Modern designs, like the incinerator-to-biochar system at Villa Rose, show one path to compliance, but smaller farms may struggle with the cost of such technology. Instead, they rely on manual composting and distribution of manure to neighboring farms (which is sustainable to a point, but not scalable to tens of thousands of hens).

Opportunities

There’s notable community support for local eggs, which is an opportunity for Hawaiʻi Island producers to expand. Programs like Mālama Kauaʻi’s egg producer initiative (though based on Kauaʻi) provide a template: they supplied free chicks and feed to small farmers to encourage local egg production, coupled with cooperative marketing. A similar approach on the Hawaiʻi Island – perhaps through the Hawaiʻi Farmers Union or cooperatives – could increase the number of small producers and aggregate their output for local grocery contracts. Additionally, local eggs have freshness on their side: with shipping, mainland eggs can be weeks old on store shelves, whereas island eggs reach consumers within days of laying. This quality difference is a selling point that resonates with buyers (bakers in particular often attest that fresher eggs whip and taste better).

Competitiveness vs. Imports

Even with higher costs, local eggs have been competitive in the recent market due to external factors. In 2022–2023, an outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (bird flu) on the mainland decimated many flocks, driving U.S. egg prices to record highs. Hawaiʻi, largely insulated from that outbreak (no cases in commercial flocks), saw its local egg prices become almost on par with mainland eggs at one point, improving their market share. This underscores how having a local supply can act as a buffer against global market shocks – a point not lost on Hawaiʻi’s legislators. Consequently, policy support is growing: the state legislature has considered incentives and grants for poultry farms, and classification of egg farms as important agricultural lands could secure them long-term land leases. There’s also discussion about leveraging the concept of “food sovereignty” – framing egg farming as essential for community resilience, which could justify subsidies or public-private partnerships.

In summary, Hawaiʻi Island’s egg sector is slowly climbing back, driven by a mix of private initiative and public interest. While one cannot yet say Hawaiʻi Island is egg self-sufficient, every new coop and every expanded flock contributes to peeling back the reliance on imports. As one farm manager optimistically put it, “We want to feed Hawaiʻi for hundreds of years” – a bold vision that, if realized even in part, would mark a significant turnaround for Hawaiʻi’s egg industry. In the near term, expect incremental growth: a few more local eggs in stores, a few more farms scaling from dozens to hundreds of hens, and continued dialogue on making feed and regulations more favorable for island egg farmers.

• Sources:

  • USDA NASS County Profile (2022) – Layers inventory

  • Honolulu Civil Beat – “A New Chicken Farm Wants to Reduce Hawaiʻi’s Dependence on Imported Eggs” (2021)

  • Honolulu Civil Beat – “Facing the Four Challenges” (profile of Villa Rose farm)

  • Hawaiʻi Dept. of Agriculture statements on egg production (various, 2020–2022)

  • Mālama Kauaʻi – local egg producer program press release (2022)

  • Hawaiʻi Tribune-Herald – local egg farm coverage (Hawaiʻi Island, various years)