# Can you take fruit INTO Hawaii?



## sfwilshire (Jul 14, 2013)

I know there are restrictions on bringing fruit out of Hawaii, but how about going in? Our tomatoes are just starting to get ripe in the garden (my favorite summer food). I'd planned on taking a mostly empty suitcase along for the things we will no doubt accumulate on the trip, so if it is permitted, I'll throw some green tomatoes into our carryon bag to enjoy while we are there.

This has been a crazy weather year. We've never waited this long for tomatoes. We are more than 20 inches over normal for rain and the crops are suffering. My kids are going to get inundated with tomatoes while we are gone for two weeks.

Sheila


----------



## artringwald (Jul 14, 2013)

You can bring them, but you'll have to declare them, and they may want to inspect them. For more info: http://hdoa.hawaii.gov/pi/pq/import-program/plant-guidelines/


----------



## radmoo (Jul 14, 2013)

artringwald said:


> You can bring them, but you'll have to declare them, and they may want to inspect them. For more info: http://hdoa.hawaii.gov/pi/pq/import-program/plant-guidelines/



Tis seems odd to me as there is no Customs if you r flying in from US


----------



## StevenTing (Jul 14, 2013)

They just don't want to introduce any pests in the eco system.  


--
Sent using Tapatalk


----------



## WalnutBaron (Jul 14, 2013)

Hawaii has one of the most unique and isolated ecosystems in the world. They rightly want to limit access for the freeloaders that hitch a ride in our fruits and vegetables, including insects and plant pathogens.

It would be preferable that you not bring fresh produce with you. If you feel you must, be sure to declare it and let the Hawaiian Agricultural Department authorities inspect it upon arrival.

For what it's worth, anything any of us can do to keep Hawaii pristine is worth the small sacrifice.


----------



## DeniseM (Jul 14, 2013)

Also - you can go to the farmers markets and buy all kind of produce, including local items that you can't get on the mainland.


----------



## BocaBoy (Jul 14, 2013)

It is flatly prohibited and will be confiscated at the agricultural checkpoint.  They have special bins just before the checkpoints where you can dump your produce before you get caught--I think they call them amnesty bins.


----------



## daventrina (Jul 15, 2013)

If you try and sneak them in and get caught it gets to be an expensive fine.
Canned they would probably be ok.

We also like to get much of our produce at the farmers market.



WalnutBaron said:


> For what it's worth, anything any of us can do to keep Hawaii pristine is worth the small sacrifice.


Agree...


----------



## LisaH (Jul 15, 2013)

radmoo said:


> Tis seems odd to me as there is no Customs if you r flying in from US



On the plane, you are given an agriculature declare form. The form will be collected by the flight attendents before you deplane. It's your responsibility to fill the form with info truthfully.


----------



## PearlCity (Jul 15, 2013)

If they are packed by the seller properly to show you bought them from a vendor. I'm not sure why. I have brought in rainier cherries ( I'm from Hawaii.and tr. Darn things are expensive here and this was before baggage fees) in, declared them, had an agriculture inspector look at them, and took them home. 

They let me bring in fresh blueberries I picked from that trip and froze as well.


----------



## PearlCity (Jul 15, 2013)

I'm not sure they will let your tomatoes in, but declare them shoe them to an inspector and worst case he takes them away


----------



## sfwilshire (Jul 16, 2013)

DeniseM said:


> Also - you can go to the farmers markets and buy all kind of produce, including local items that you can't get on the mainland.



My problem is that I can only eat the low-acid yellow varieties, which are nearly impossible to find commercially. One Florida vegetable seller just insisted that yellow tomatoes are only red ones that aren't ripe yet. Not.

I will eat my first one out of the garden tomorrow and will be beyond sad to leave them now that they are finally getting ripe. With the crazy weather this year, they'll probably all be gone by the time I get home. :annoyed: 184 tomato plants and none to eat for the last month. Should have had hundreds of them by now.

I certainly won't smuggle anything in, but it is amazing that I can't find anything addressing taking vegetables in on the USDA website. I find lots of things about restrictions on plants. Guess I'll call them and ask where to find this on their website.

Thanks, 

Sheila


----------



## daventrina (Jul 17, 2013)

http://hdoa.hawaii.gov/pi/pq/travel-shipping-information/traveling-from-the-u-s-mainland-to-hawaiʻi/

RESTRICTED OR PROHIBITED ITEMS:
If you have questions regarding the import status of any plant or animal, please contact the Plant Quarantine Branch at (808) 832-0566.


----------



## sfwilshire (Jul 17, 2013)

Thanks for the link and the phone number. I don't see tomatoes on the prohibited list, so you may have saved the day for me. I'll call them anyway to be sure.  

Sheila


----------



## sfwilshire (Jul 18, 2013)

I know most of you think this is silly, but I talked to a man at the USDA office in Hawaii today and there is no problem at all with taking tomatoes INTO Hawaii.  :

He said I should just declare them and show them to the inspector if there was one.

From a popular country song: "There are only two things that money can't buy. That's true love and homegrown tomatoes." 

Sheila


----------



## daventrina (Jul 19, 2013)

Glad it worked out for you...


----------



## artringwald (Jul 19, 2013)

sfwilshire said:


> From a popular country song: "There are only two things that money can't buy. That's true love and homegrown tomatoes."


I didn't know the song was popular, but Guy Clark wrote it and it's one of my favorites: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5SWP2C_q2g


----------



## krj9999 (Jul 19, 2013)

A few years ago, my DW had packed an apple I think for the plane ride to Hawaii and forgot about it - when we deplaned in Maui one of the dogs came up to her and they discovered it.  So it is taken seriously.


----------



## ciscogizmo1 (Jul 20, 2013)

Yay.. So glad you get to take your tomatoes.  I totally get missing out on your harvest.  Right before our Boston trip I stayed up all night preserving our garden harvest. I was blanching all the green beans, jalenpenos and bell peppers and freezing.  Plus I was freezing all our tomatillos. I hope my tomatoes are ready soon.  I need to make a ton of marinara sauce.  We leave again for a trip in 11/2 weeks.  I'm hoping to pick them soon.


----------



## sfwilshire (Jul 20, 2013)

ciscogizmo1 said:


> Yay.. So glad you get to take your tomatoes.  I totally get missing out on your harvest.  Right before our Boston trip I stayed up all night preserving our garden harvest. I was blanching all the green beans, jalenpenos and bell peppers and freezing.  Plus I was freezing all our tomatillos. I hope my tomatoes are ready soon.  I need to make a ton of marinara sauce.  We leave again for a trip in 11/2 weeks.  I'm hoping to pick them soon.



We tried a few tomatillo plants one year and they didn't do well. I think we got one. Maybe two. Gardening is always a crapshoot here because we typically have very dry summers. I've spent a fortune over the last couple of years buying irrigation equipment. Wouldn't you know it. We're more than 20" above normal this year. Typically the tomatoes would be pretty well gone by done. Crazy that they are just starting to ripen.

Sheila


----------

