DuPont Pioneer to close Kauai facility, lays off 23

Seed company DuPont Pioneer has laid off 23 employees on Kauai as part of a plan to consolidate a parent seed facility in Kekaha with one in Waialua on Oahu, officials said Thursday.

DuPont Pioneer, formerly Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc., shut down the Kekaha facility Wednesday.

Laid-off employees who include supervisors and managers received severance packages and outplacement assistance, according to company spokeswoman Laurie Yoshida. The remaining 11 employees will continue to work for a few months to help with the closure.

The consolidation was prompted by a slight downturn in demand for seed corn. Globally, corn is down, said Yoshida.

DuPont Pioneer leases 3,500 acres for the Kekaha seed operation, where parent seeds are planted and varieties are shipped to breeders.

In a phone interview, Yoshida said company officials will discuss how many acres in Kekaha they plan to turn back to landowners and whether to continue their lease on some acres for possible future use. "We’re still evaluating on what we’re going to do."

The company owns 2,300 acres in Waialua.

In an emailed statement, she added: "We are proud of the 47 years in Kekaha and are confident in our global seed production network’s ability to continue to provide quality seeds for farmers everywhere."

The seed company will continue to operate the Waimea Research Center on Kauai and the Kunia Research Center on Oahu. Yoshida said consolidating the two facilities is unrelated to a recent verdict by a federal court jury in favor of Waimea residents claiming dust from test fields near the research center caused property damage and loss of use and enjoyment of property. Fifteen residents were awarded a total of $507,090 in damages.