Coffee leaf rust, a fungus pest that threatens to devastate Hawaii’s $54 million coffee industry, apparently has now been found on two islands.

State Department of Agriculture officials said Friday that the disease was tentatively identified on coffee plants in Hilo just days after it was discovered on Maui.

That’s bad news for Hawaii’s coffee growers, who have been coping with the damage caused by the invasive coffee borer beetle on top of the coronavirus epidemic.

Coffee leaf rust is known as one of the most damaging pests of coffee plants and is said to be able to reduce the production of coffee farms by 30% to 80%.

The fungus, or Hemileia vastatrix, is established in all major coffee-growing regions of the world but had not previously been found in Hawaii.

As a result of the discovery, Hawaii’s congressional delegation Friday formally asked U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue for significant “emergency response resources” to help Hawaii fend off the invading pathogen.

Following the Oct. 21 discovery of the rust in Haiku, Maui, employees with the state Department of Agriculture and other agencies began surveying for the pest across the state.

It was detected Monday on coffee plants at a Hilo residence.

The rust was tentatively identified by the USDA Agricultural Research Service in Hilo late Wednesday, and samples were sent to the USDA National Identification Services in Maryland for confirmation.

Phyllis Shimabukuro- Geiser, chairwoman of the state Board of Agriculture, said the surveys are continuing across the islands to determine the extent of the infestation.

“We are also trying to determine the pathway of how this fungus was introduced into the state,” she said.

In a letter to Perdue, U.S. Sens. Mazie Hirono and Brian Schatz and U.S. Reps. Ed Case and Tulsi Gabbard said the discovery of coffee leaf rust warrants a rapid federal response to help contain and treat the fungus.

The letter suggests allocating “emergency response resources” from the Plant Protection Act’s Section 7721 program and lending other forms of help from USDA.

“Putting forward robust resources at this early stage can mean the difference between effective management and decimation of coffee farms in Hawaii,” the letter says.

The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced In July that it would make available $75 million for plant protection for the 2021 fiscal year.

“Coffee leaf rust has finally made its way to Hawaii, and it will take every available resource if Hawaii’s coffee industry is to survive,” said Chris Manfredi, president of the Hawaii Coffee Association.

Manfredi said it’s unfortunate this crisis is occurring when coffee farmers are hurting because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s rough,” he said. “There’s no other way to put it.”

The notorious pest is likely to transform the coffee industry in Hawaii, he said, as farmers are forced to look for rust-resistant varieties to replace the existing crop.

“We’re the last to get it. Other areas have adapted to it, and we will, too,” he said.

Manfredi said the same working group of government, academic and private-­industry representatives who worked with farmers to deal with the coffee borer beetle is starting to work on this problem.

In addition, coffee industry professionals from around the world have reached out to lend their support and expertise.

“The outpouring of support over the last few days has been remarkable,” Manfredi said.