E-News from the Hawaii Department of Agriculture

Message from the Chairperson:

Aloha!  This past legislative session was successful for agriculture on several fronts.  A major administration bill, the livestock revitalization bill, will provide livestock producers with assistance to help mitigate the rising cost of feed.  The legislature appropriated $3 million, which will be used to reimburse a portion of the feed costs for producers of poultry products (60 percent), milk (40 percent), swine raised and slaughtered in Hawaii (50 percent) and cattle raised and slaughtered in Hawaii (50 percent).  The reimbursement program is slated to begin July 1, 2007.  More information on the program is forthcoming.

HDOA was appropriated $6 million for repairs and maintenance of the 15-mile-long Waimanalo Irrigation System.  The system serves about 1,175 acres in the Waimanalo Agricultural Park.  Improvements may include development of environmental studies, lining of open ditches, replacing ditches with pipe, reconstructing concrete lined ditches, painting of above-ground pipelines, installation of a new siphon, and clearing of access roads and paths.  These improvements will enable the collection of water to become more efficient and significantly mitigate water losses in the system.

In addition, appropriations in the amount of $250,000 were also passed for the development of a master plan for the Kunia Agricultural Park.  The master plan will make provisions for subdivision of a 150-acre parcel of prime agricultural land into approximately 15 agricultural lots. Aside from providing agricultural lots, the Kunia Agricultural Park will help to stop the encroachment of residential development north of the Royal Kunia subdivision.

SB837 appropriates $9.2 million for the Agribusiness Development Corporation to purchase agricultural lands in the Kunia/Ewa area.  This will be the first time a state agency has been authorized to preserve agricultural land by acquiring it from a private landowner.  With the lands acquired with these funds, ADC will be able to provide long-term leases for farmers, up to 55 years, which will help allow the

agribusinesses to secure financing for their operations and will promote sustainable agriculture.

Mahalo to all those who supported these initiatives. 

Sandra Lee Kunimoto

Chairperson

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MILK PRICE INCREASED APPROVED FOR BIG ISLAND

The Hawaii Board of Agriculture has approved a milk price increase of $3.00 per hundredweight for Class I milk for the Hawaii Milk Shed (Big Island), raising the minimum price paid to dairies to $29.53 per hundredweight.  The Hawaii Milk Shed is comprised of three Big Island dairies, all of which have indicated that they have suffered losses mainly due to the increase in transportation costs and rises in fuel prices.  A public hearing was held on the Big Island in April.  The rule change now goes to the Governor for approval. 

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PILOT PROGRAM TO TRACK & TRACE ISLAND PRODUCE ANNOUNCED

The Quality Assurance Division recently announced a three-year pilot program to track and trace farm produce from the farm to the consumer using radio frequency identification devices (RFID).  With recent feed contamination and e-coli contamination incidents, traceability of our food supply has become an important food safety issue.  The pilot program can now shift into high gear as a $450,000 Homeland Security grant funds has just been awarded through the Hawaii Economic Development Alliance.   It is estimated that the pilot program will cost about $1.6 million over a three-year period.

The goal of the pilot program is to eventually making this technology available to all Hawaii farms.  More information is available on the department’s website at: http://www.hawaii.gov/hdoa/Info/hdoa-to-pilot-project-on-food-safety-using-high-tech-devices

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FEDERAL QUARANTINE FOR LIGHT BROWN APPLE MOTH

The detection of the light brown apple moth (LBAM) in several counties in California has resulted in a federal quarantine order that increases inspection requirements for Hawaii’s plant export industry.  As soon as the federal order was issued on May 2, the Plant Quarantine Branch anticipated possible problems with states on the mainland rejecting or holding Hawaii plants without a specific inspection certificate for the LBAM. Within a few days, a LBAM inspection policy and protocol was established to help plant exporters get their plants through to their customers.  So far, HDOA has not been notified of any rejections due to the federal order.  To view the news releases on issued on this matter, go to:  http://www.hawaii.gov/hdoa/meetings_reports/news-releases/2007-news-releases/

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SURVEYS FOR VARROA MITES CONTINUES STATEWIDE

Surveys have detected varroa mites only on bees on Oahu.  So far, surveys on the neighbor islands have not detected the mite, which is of great concern for feral and commercial hives.  Beekeepers are advised not to move any bees or beekeeping equipment between islands, even from island that the mite has not been detected.

Teams of personnel from the Plant Pest Control and Plant Quarantine Branches have been surveying areas around the state.  The Pesticides Branch is also working to assist in the registration of pesticide products that may be used to control the varroa mites. 

To view the news release, go to:  http://www.hawaii.gov/hdoa/meetings_reports/news-releases/2007-news-releases/news-release-nr07-05-april-11-2007/

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ADC TO MANAGE KAU IRRIGATION SYSTEM

At its March meeting, the board of directors of the Agribusiness Development Corporation (ADC) agreed to take on the Kau irrigation systems as a project.  There are a total of seven working water systems left from the former plantation in the area.  The farmers, ranchers, and landowners in the Kau district have spent many hours meeting to form a water users cooperative.  A request to transfer the water tunnels from DLNR to ADC will be the next step.  Agricultural activities in the area include macadamia net, coffee, flowers, ranching, and other diversified operations.

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WAIMEA IRRIGATION SYSTEM – LALAMILO DISTRIBUTION PIPELINE REPLACEMENT PROJECT

R.M. Towill Corporation has been awarded a Contract for Professional Services for the Waimea Irrigation System – Lalamilo Distribution Pipeline Replacement Project, Phase 2.  The cost for this project is $131,360 in which approximately three miles of the severely deteriorated main distribution pipeline system will be replaced with new high density polyethylene pipe.  Notice to proceed has been issued and design of the project should be completed by the end of the year.

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BOARD MEMBERS APPOINTED

Congratulations to Laurie Ho, who was confirmed by the State Senate as a member of the Hawaii Board of Agriculture.  Ho represents the Island of Kauai on the board.  She had been serving as interim board member.  Ho is currently the coordinator of the Garden Island Resources Conservation and Development program with the USDA – Natural Resources Conservation Service.  Ho is a graduate of Kamehameha Schools and received her bachelor of science degree in Agricultural Technology from the UH-Manoa.

The board also welcomed ex-official member Allan Smith, who was recently appointed by Governor Linda Lingle as interim Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources.

During the past session, the State Senate also confirmed the appointments of Agribusiness Development Corporation board members Teena Rasmussen, David Rietow, Duane Lau and Christine Daleiden.

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CONTROLLING ESTABLISHED PESTS

PLANT QUARANTINE HOT WATER TREATMENT SYSTEM TESTED

Plant Quarantine staff recently completed testing on a hot water treatment system to treat potted plants for coqui frog.  The system utilized technology developed by the University of Hawaii – College of Tropical Agriculture in Hilo and an Oahu nurseryman. 

The system, built at the Plant Quarantine headquarters on Oahu, was engineered as a prototype for future production and implementation on the Big Island and eventually other neighbor islands as a pre-shipment treatment to prevent the transport of coqui frogs.  It uses a converted maritime shipping container, where plants may be loaded and treated.  Under agreement with CTAHR at Manoa, work is currently beginning on the construction of a self-contained mobile unit that would be deployed on the Big Island by the end of the year.  Other permanent units are planned for Kauai, Maui and Kauai.

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BIOCONTROL AGENT CULTURED FOR BANANA POKA ON MAUI

Plant Pathologist, Eloise Killgore has been culturing a biocontrol fungus for use in controlling banana poka on Maui. Three shipments have been sent to Department of Land and Natural Resources personnel on Maui since February for release on the slopes of Haleakala near the Poli Poli State Park.  A fourth shipment is being cultured in the lab for later release.  Reports from Maui indicate that they are already seeing the biocontrol agent’s work in controlling the banana poka in the area.

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PAPAYA RINGSPOT ON LANAI

Deputy to the Chairperson Duane Okamoto visited Lanai earlier this month to observe first-hand the extent of the spread of the Papaya Ringspot Virus. Okamoto met with the only commercial farmer of papaya, Castle & Cooke's Director of  Land & Natural Resources, as well as various other residents and community leaders.

Since the first detection of the virus by a CTAHR county extension agent, the Plant Pest Control (PPC) branch has been actively monitoring the situation and a PPC Maui staff member has been traveling frequently to Lanai to conduct surveys of the island in order to create a map of the outbreak. Oahu staff have been creating information materials and developing a program to bring the virus under control. PPC staff will be on Lanai in June to begin a concerted informational campaign and to begin the effort to remove infected papaya trees from backyards and farms.

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INTERCEPTIONS BY PLANT QUARANTINE INSPECTORS

(The following is a sampling of recent interceptions by Plant Quarantine Inspectors)

April 12 – eight flats of strawberries shipped through air cargo from Los Angeles were treated and destroyed due to infestation of aphids not known to occur in Hawaii. 

April 12 – Maui inspectors intercepted 35 boxes (875 lbs.) of fresh pineapple that arrived via ocean freight from California.  The pineapples were originally from Costa Rica and were refused entry and returned to California because it did not have a valid import permit.

April 19 – Oahu inspectors treated and destroyed 130 flats of strawberries due to infestation of an aphid not known to occur in Hawaii.  The shipment arrived via air freight from Los Angeles.

April 20 – Maui inspectors treated and destroyed 216 hemerocallis and hydrangea plants due to infestation of snails.  The shipment arrived via air freight from Los Angeles.

April 23 – Hilo inspectors rejected 250 Phoenix palm plants from being shipped to Oahu due to infestation of nettle caterpillar.

April 25 – Maui inspectors treated and destroyed 18 boxes (287 lbs.) of red and green bell peppers which were heavily infested with diptera pupae.  The air freight shipment arrived from California.

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