A combination of declining production and falling prices cut the value of Hawai'i's banana sales by 18 percent to $8.1 million in 2007 from 2006, according to the local office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Last year's banana sales were the lowest since 1998 when sales totaled $7.4 million.

Banana production fell 1.5 percent to 19.7 million pounds in 2007, a 1.5 percent decline from the previous year. Farmers received 41 cents a pound for their bananas, down from 49 cents a pound in 2006.

Statewide banana acreage was estimated at 1,200 acres, unchanged from 2006. Harvested acreage also was unchanged at 1,000 acres.