Agriculture

U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda is coming off a busy week in Congress and has a busy schedule working here at home. Tokuda sits on the committees on Agriculture and Armed Services, which just concluded back-to-back marathon sessions.

A case that challenges whether or not short-term rentals are allowed on farmland in Hawaiʻi County has made its way to the state’s highest court.

State lawmakers approved a bill to protect local macadamia nut farmers. It now awaits the governor’s signature to become law. Similar to a coffee labeling measure passed this year, the macadamia nut bill would require sold packages to indicate if they contain foreign-grown nuts.

As it stands, only 10% of coffee in packages labeled "Hawaiʻi grown" must be sourced locally. Growers say that's deceptive to buyers and harmful to the local industry. New legislation awaiting the governor's signature would require roasted, instant or ready-to-drink coffee marketed as "locally sourced" to have at least 51% local coffee. HPR's Mark Ladao has more.

Growers want a measure to protect their crops and farms, while commercial nut brands say what Hawaiʻi needs is more capacity to process mac nuts locally.

Long-term funding could finally be coming to the state’s DA BUX program. The initiative cuts the price in half for eligible produce grown by Hawaiʻi farmers, and this year’s state budget bill could allocate a recurring $1 million annually to DA BUX.

Last week the Senate Committee on Ways and Means allocated the funding in House Bill 2619. That money would go toward more than 100 new and existing DOA positions related to the state’s management of invasive species.

Four months after live coconut rhinoceros beetles were found in Kīhei, the state Department of Agriculture says no other evidence of the invasive pest has been found.

U.S. Forest Service rangeland scientist Stephanie Yelenik has researched invasive grasslands in Hawaiʻi and several western states, as well as in South Africa. She spoke to The Conversation about a new study she led on invasive grasslands on Hawai’i Island.

This week represents a key deadline for bills to move forward this legislative session, and lawmakers have kept some alive for the most problematic pest species in Hawaiʻi.