A Method of Assessing New Crop Potential in Hawaii: A Case Study of the Hawaiian Papaya Industry

Soil and Land Use Technology. Inc. (SaLUT) formulated an analytical model, the production-marketing-consumption (PMC) decision matrix, that was found useful in assessing new crop development potential. This model was applied to the Hawaiian papaya industry to determine if a correspondence exists between the model's components and those involved in the development of the Hawaiian papaya industry. SaLUT's components were involved in the historical development of the Hawaiian papaya industry. Further analysis showed that PMC components could be classified into three groups based on their importance to papaya development. The most important component combination was land and cultivar. The relationship between the tourism and papaya industries was important to development. Results indicate that the SaLUT model is relevant for evaluating new crops in Hawaii. In using the model, it may be appropriate to address PMC components hierarchically, since, in the case of papaya, some components were rated more important than others. These components did not exist before the industry evolved and could not be borrowed from other PMC crop systems.