Hawaii's valuable coffee industry is being threatened by a pest.
but is quarantine the solution?
The appearance of the coffee berry borer pest has led the state agriculture department to weigh whether to impose emergency measures. a key hearing happened today.
Hawaii's coffee industry is a prized crop -- Kona coffee is among the world's highest priced. so when a long-feared invader appeared this fall, alarm bells went off.
"This is the worst pest for coffee," says Tom Greenwell, Greenwell Farms/Kona Coffee Council.
At least 21 sites statewide are infested, all in the Kona area. as many as 100 other individual farms may be affected. The borer lays eggs in the coffee cherry, and as it develops, the bean is fed on and damaged. the bug can make farms yield less and can harm the quality of the product.
The Department of Agriculture is considering a two-tier quarantine -- one around Kona, another the entire Big Island -- that would block movement of coffee plants, seeds and even bags unless required treatment is done. Some say one such process methyl-bromide fumigation would kill organic labels and downgrade perception of other Kona brands.
"The risk is that kona coffee's reputation in those markets will be permanently damaged and the price that we receive may plummet," says Bruce Corker, Kona Coffee Farmers Association.
But not all farmers in the red zone oppose a quarantine and treatment that could cost tens of thousands of dollars.
"I'm not asking please put more financial impact on my company, but I'm thinking about the farmers throughout the state of hawaii, the rest of them. they're all good people," says Greenwell.
For years imported berries have been required to undergo fumigation treatment.
"Now that it's been discovered in Kona I don't think anything less than that is fair to say we should treat coffee coming out of Kona so as not to cause those same financial hardships on anybody else," says Jim Wayman, Hawaii Coffee Company.
But growers in opposition want more time to review the plan and propose alternatives.
"Slow the process down, take the time needed to get things right and to minimize the damage that may be done by quarantine to kona growers," says Corker.
After a three-hour hearing today, the committee recommended in favor of a one-year quarantine but suggested adding more mitigation methods. A full board hears the matter next Tuesday.
