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A couple of days ago we wrote about the federal assistance the Hawaii Coffee Association is seeking to help combat the coffee borer that’s destroying crops left and right on Kona coffee plantations. Well, some good news just came along for the industry, which has been experiencing a lower crop yield due to the pest. The state Department of Agriculture is making $200,000 available in a program that will study the scope of the infestation, develop better pest control techniques, and help develop better methods for prevention and monitor progress towards control of the beetle pest in Hawaii.
The National Agricultural Statistic Service just released statistics showing that coffee crops in Hawaii have only brought in 31.5 million dollars in crops this season, whereas last season it was 33.4 million dollars.