Oahu’s coffee borer quarantine expanded

The islands of Hawaii may be situated in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, miles away from mainland America, but its picturesque geographical location hasn’t protected its farmers from the dreaded and devastating coffee berry borer, which has plagued coffee growers since the crop was first commercialised.

Last year, the pest spread. An action plan failed to contain the insect and in December the state Department of Agriculture (DoA) admitted that the borer had been found on farms in Waialua, Oahu. These areas were isolated and there was a ban on the transportation of unroasted coffee beans off the island.

However these preventative and reactionary measures appear to have failed as recently the Board of Agriculture voted to expand the current quarantine zones to include further coffee growers and plantations after the borer was found at a private Wahiawa residence.

The pest was also spotted at the University of Hawaii’s Poamoho Research Centre.

“Oahu is a hub for the state’s coffee trade,” board Chairman Scott Enright stated.

“We need to make sure that [the] coffee beans that are imported to, as well as exported from Oahu, are not spreading this destructive pest.

Currently, the conditions of the quarantine state that a permit is compulsory for the transportation of all unroasted beans, plants and equipment. As well as a permit, on the spot inspections is also a common occurrence. In spite of these stringent measures, the borer is spreading.

Department officials have said that the entire agency is working around the clock in order to get the necessary licenses needed to acquire certain pesticides which can combat the pest.

But there is the other side to this, the financial side for those businesses and people who rely on the coffee sector for a living. Without the free transportation of produce and continuous sales, people are being hit hard. And red tape isn’t helping according to some:

“We still have not been able to satisfy the [current quarantine] requirements,” lamented Waialua Estate Coffee Farms’ Sales and Operations Manager, Derek Lanter.

The long-established company has been unable to ship their coffee because, they claim, roasters are unaware of the specific permits and requirements they need to meet, which is costing them much needed revenue.

“Now what?” he asked.

Cliffs of the Koolau Range by Lukas. Used under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.