Big Island coffee farmers could once again get thousands of dollars in state funds to pay for pesticides to combat a pair of devastating pests.
A plague upon the worldwide coffee industry, the coffee berry borer was first discovered on the Big Island in 2010 and subsequently spread across the state. An unchecked infestation of the insects can reduce coffee yields by more than 30% per year.
Meanwhile, coffee leaf rust is a disease caused by fungal infection first detected in Hawaii in 2020. Coffee leaf rust — so called because of the progressive discoloration of infected plants — is similarly devastating for the industry, and is estimated to have cut the Big Island’s coffee production by nearly 50% in 2022.
While the state has implemented several measures to control the two pests — such as importing a species of parasitic wasp that could target the borer — certain pesticides and fungicides also have been found to be effective. And the state Department of Agriculture has offered Hawaii County $135,000 in grant funding to subsidize coffee farmers’ purchase of those products.
Glenn Sako, agriculture specialist with the county Research and Development Department, said the DOA has administered a pesticide subsidy program since 2015, but it has only been “intermittently available” in the years since.
Under the state program, Sako said, coffee producers on the island can submit an application to the DOA outlining their operations and the impacted areas where they would apply the pesticides. If the department finds the producer eligible, it will reimburse pesticide purchases up to $600 per acre per year.
Sako said coffee producers likely will be limited to a certain cap on subsidies, which he guessed would be somewhere between $6,000 and $9,000 per producer per year.
The DOA maintains a list of approved pesticides eligible for reimbursement.
The Hawaii County Council Finance Committee on Tuesday approved without much discussion a bill and resolution authorizing the county to enter into an agreement with the DOA to administer the program and accept the $135,000.
However, Hilo Councilman Dennis “Fresh” Onishi suggested that similar state programs be implemented to subsidize control measures targeting other invasive species, particularly little fire ants. Onishi acknowledged that any such programs will be dependent upon available state funds.
With the matter approved by the Finance Committee, the bill and resolution will now go to the full council for further discussion.
Email Michael Brestovansky at mbrestovansky@hawaiitribune-herald.com.