Field workers at Hawai'i's last major pineapple plantation have picked their last pineapples.

Maui Land and Pineapple Co. shut down its century-old agricultural operation yesterday to focus on real estate development.

MLP says its pineapple business has lost $115 million since 2002 and is no longer financially sustainable.

The company is laying off about 285 employees. About 133 workers are being offered positions in the company's other businesses.

Hawai'i's major pineapple producers have shifted growing operations to foreign countries such as the Philippines, where labor is cheaper.

Former and current Maui Land employees hope to form a new company that would continue growing, packing and selling Maui Gold fresh pineapples.

ML MACADAMIA TO SELL TO MAUNA LOA NUT

ML Macadamia Orchards L.P. said it will sell all of its macadamia nuts to Mauna Loa Nut Corp., under an amended agreement with the company.

ML Macadamia, in a filing at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, said it also had terminated an earlier agreement with Mac Farms of Hawaii LLC. That agreement called for Mac Farms to purchase between 4.5 million and 5.5 million pounds of macadamia nuts annually from ML Macadamia.

The new agreement with Mauna Loa runs through the end of 2011.

AVERAGE COST OF GAS IN ISLES NOW $3.31

The average price of a gallon of regular gas in Hawai'i edged lower to $3.31 this week, according to the AAA Hawaii Weekend Gas Watch.

The Hawai'i average price fell 3 cents a gallon from a week earlier and 4 cents from a month ago.

In Honolulu, the average price was $3.21 a gallon, down 1 cent from a week ago and 4 cents from a month ago.

The average price in Hilo was $3.31, down 9 cents from a week ago, and 5 cents from the same time last month.

In Wailuku, the average price was $3.68, down 3 cents from the previous week, but up 5 cents from a month ago.