Maui
State agricultural officials said a beetle that bores into coffee beans has been found in a remote rural area of Maui — the third island in Hawaii with confirmed cases of the infestation.
Losses to one of the top five crops in Hawaii have been estimated at more than several million dollars since the beetle was first discovered on Hawaii island in 2010.
The coffee berry borer was found in a backyard in Hana in November and in a 13-acre farm in Kipahulu in December.
Described by state officials as one of the most devastating coffee pests, restrictions have been imposed on Hawaii island and Oahu to halt it from spreading to other islands.
Officials said they don’t know how the beetle arrived at the two locations in East Maui — about 12 miles from each other — and the infestation in Kipahulu indicates the beetles have been there for some time.
A survey found the beetle was not present in other areas of Maui, including Kaanapali where hundreds of acres are cultivated for MauiGrown Coffee. Company President Kimo Falconer said any presence on the Valley Isle was bad news. “It’s definitely a punch in the stomach, but it’s part of the game,” he said.
Maui Coffee Association President Sydney Smith said many of the 32 farms in her organization are small and rely on growing other crops.
Smith said the biggest threat is if the infestation spreads to wild coffee trees that are tended by no one. “That would be a big problem,” she said.
State agriculture administrator John McHugh said in addition to eliminating tours through coffee fields, farmers can reduce infestations by removing berries on the ground and spraying a fungus to kill the beetles. With proper treatment, coffee farmers can still expect to lose only 20 percent of their crop, he said.
State officials have scheduled a meeting for 10 a.m. to noon Monday at the Kula Community Center to provide general information about the infestation, followed by a meeting at 5:30 p.m. to discuss strategies for controlling the pest.
