#hawaii agriculture

The program reimburses farmers and ranchers in Hawaiʻi, Alaska and other insular areas for transportation costs of supplies like feed, fertilizer and equipment parts.

US Rep. Jill Tokuda has requested the USDA to urgently re-hire animal and plan inspection and quarantine workers, after about 200 were terminated last month.

Registration is now open for the 2024 Hawai‘i Agriculture Conference – AG2024 – to be held Nov. 7 and 8, 2024 at the Hawai‘i Convention Center.

Gov. Josh Green, M.D., signed into law 12 bills on Wednesday, aimed at fortifying Hawaiʻi’s agricultural resilience, enhancing biosecurity measures, and promoting responsible land management practices. 

Hawaiʻi Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke and Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture Chairperson Sharon Hurd last week led some of Hawaiʻi’s agricultural leaders in a first-ever Hawaiʻi delegation to the United States Department of Agriculture.

A coffee labeling bill to protect local farmers and preserve the authenticity of Hawaiʻi-grown products has passed the 2024 Legislative Session and is expected to become law upon the governor’s signature.

The Hawaiʻi State Senate Committee on Ways and Means on Friday advanced several bills aimed at addressing key priorities for the Senate. These bills cover areas of supporting the local agriculture industry, protecting the environment against invasive species, building the workforce for the future through public education, and addressing the affordable housing shortage.

The Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture will be awarding a total of approximately $523,000 to Hawai‘i proposals that enhance the competitiveness of Hawai‘i specialty crops.

The Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture is administering the more than $2.6 million Resilient Food System Infrastructure grant.

Hawaiʻi County producers incurred $100,000 in total losses while Maui County producers incurred $23 million in total losses. Producers estimated the reduction in sales revenue at $5.1 million, the reduction in agritourism revenue at $3.9 million, the value of livestock losses at $75,000, the value of crop damages at $5.4 million, and property damages at $8.5 million.

This project is based on Kauaʻi, where the Maui-based Pacific Biodiesel last year began supplying its biodiesel to KIUC as a source of renewable energy supporting the Kauaʻi utility’s accelerated pathway to 100% renewable electricity production by 2033, more than a decade earlier than the State of Hawaiʻi’s mandated timeline of 2045.

The Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture is inviting public comments until August 11 for the US Department of Agriculture Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program, which aims to strengthen the stateʻs food supply chain.

Governor Josh Green, M.D. on Wednesday signed bills into law aimed at supporting local agriculture. The measures also seek to enhance local food production through the acquisition of the Wahiawā Irrigation System. The legislation attempts to remove barriers to farming and enhance present and future public health and safety by increasing penalties for pesticide violations.

To support beginning and small farmers, American AgCredit and CoBank increased their investment in the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s farmer training program GoFarm Hawaiʻi with a $1 million gift.

The Hawai‘i Island Coalition was named a finalist for the Biden Administration’s Build Back Better Regional Challenge and will receive $500,000 to further develop a proposal for between $25 and $100 million in potential future grant funding.

Hawaiʻi Farmers Union United, a leading statewide agricultural organization and chartered chapter of the National Farmers Union, is hosting a series of weekly interactive webinars featuring local and national experts in agriculture, running Nov. 8 – Dec. 1.

The Hawai`i Department of Agriculture is now accepting proposals for the Grow Hawai`i Agriculture Initiative 2021, an initiative to quickly scale up commercial agricultural production including the production of value-added products with the goal to increase the contribution of agriculture to the state’s gross domestic product.

The drop in total market value may be attributed to the end of the sugar operations on Maui in 2017 and the decline in the value of the seed corn industry.

Hawaiʻi utilized macadamia nut production for 2017-2018 increased 17% from last season to 49 million pounds.

TheRevolving Loan Fund will leverage private dollars to support Hawai‘i’s small businesses and communities to grow the state’s agricultural industry.