Aloha!

​This website is dedicated to providing outreach to farmers for the management of Coffee Berry Borer and other coffee pests, diseases and problems in Hawaii. 

Coronavirus-related Assistance Resources for Hawaii's Agriculture Industry

Provided by Mazie K. Hirono

This guide is intended for informational purposes. Interested businesses should carefully consult the guidance, regulations, and requirements issued by the administering federal agencies for authoritative information on eligibility, amounts of assistance, and other matters related to the programs outlined herein.

Recently enacted federal legislation provides resources and initiatives to assist businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This guide provides summary information about major provisions that could offer critical support to Hawaii's agriculture industry and will be updated periodically (current as of April 27, 2020)

Includes:
  • U.S. Department of Agriculture Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 
  • ​​U.S. Small Business Administration Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)
  • U.S. SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and Economic Emergency Injury Grants (EEIG)
  • ​Residential Mortgage Provisions
  • Federal Tax Provisions
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Click above to download and view the guide
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Click on either page to download this document.
COVID-19 Farm Food Safety Reminders
UPDATED 3/23/2020
The information below was copied from the document above for ease of translation. Use the Google Translate function towards the top of the page to translate these farm food safety reminders to various languages. 
University of Hawai’i at Manoa-College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) 
Farm Food Safety Program 

To All Farmers and Agricultural Stakeholders: 
Thank you for your continued effort and dedication in supplying our communities with fresh, locally grown produce, especially during this rapidly changing environment brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The CTAHR Farm Food Safety Team understands that this is a particularly stressful time for farmers as there is uncertainty in the foreseeable future with produce outlets, markets, customers, and sales. While there is no evidence of links between food and COVID-19 at this time, we would like to remind you of a few practical farm food safety strategies to continue implementing to protect yourself and employees and minimize the risk of contamination. You may also consider using these points to communicate with your customers to reassure them of your food safety practices. 

Please remember to follow all federal, state, and county regulations and recommendations. Lastly, feel free to contact your local Extension Agent should you have any questions. 

Aloha and take care, 

CTAHR Statewide Farm Food Safety Team 
Joshua Silva, Jensen Uyeda, Kylie Tavares, Jennifer Hawkins, Sharon Wages, Kiersten Akahoshi, and Emilie Kirk 

Worker Health, Hygiene 
  • Wash hands properly and more frequently 
    • How: With running water and soap, vigorously scrub palms, back of hands, fingers, nails, and exposed areas up to the elbows for 20 seconds, using a single use paper towel to dry and turn off the faucet
    • When: 
      • Before: Working on the farm, handling of any produce, putting on gloves (if used), eating 
      • After: Using the restroom, eating or break times, and any other time hands may become contaminated            (e.g. picking up supplies)
    • ​​Additionally, using a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol can further sanitize hands
  • ​Sneeze and cough into elbow or arm, away from produce and food contact surfaces 
  • Discontinue or postpone farm visitors (e.g. friends, family, regulators, auditors, certifiers, government agency representatives, University representatives, including Extension Agents) 
    • Limit contractors and services to only essential activities (i.e. Porta-potty servicing and delivery of necessary materials) 
  • ​​Increase social distancing of employees either working in smaller shifts and/or physically distancing at least 6 feet from each other (during planting, harvesting, packing, or any other activity)
  • Employees who are sick must stay home from work. If you, or an employee, suspect you have been exposed to COVID-19, contact your healthcare provider immediately (call ahead to minimize spread) 

Clean and Sanitizing 
  • Bolster cleaning and sanitizing practices
    • ​What: 
      • Common touch points (e.g. door handles, tractors and equipment, break areas) 
      • Food contact surfaces (e.g. tables, knives, clippers, harvest bins) 
      • Toilet and restroom facilities 
    • When: As frequent as you deem necessary to reduce contamination and spread 
    • How: 
      • Clean surfaces by physically removing soil and debris using a detergent or soap, rinsing with water before sanitizing 
      • Sanitize using an antimicrobial product appropriate for the task
        • Follow all label guidelines 
        • Use products registered for use on food contact surfaces as appropriate 
        • Contact your Extension Agent with questions about approved sanitizers 

Other Helpful Measures 
  • Train employees on practices and policies regarding health, hygiene, and cleaning and sanitizing, emphasizing their importance during this COVID-19 pandemic 
  • Continue practicing general food safety to minimize other food safety risks 
  • Reassure buyers of your practices that you promote good worker health, hygiene, and sanitation 
  • Maintain enhanced sanitation practices during distribution and marketing 

Additional Resources 
CTAHR Farm Food Safety Team
Oahu County: Joshua Silva (jhsilva@hawaii.edu) & Jensen Uyeda (juyeda@hawaii.edu)
Maui & Lanai: Kylie Tavares (kylielw@hawaii.edu)
Molokai: Jennifer Hawkins (hawkinsJ@ctahr.hawaii.edu)
Hawaii County: Sharon Wages (smotomur@hawaii.edu) & Kiersten Akahoshi (kiersten@hawaii.edu)
Kauai County: Emilie Kirk (erkirk@hawaii.edu)
NEW! Easy-read Coffee Berry Borer Pamphlet
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Front
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Back
A video on conducting the End of Season Strip-Pick for coffee field sanitation and coffee berry borer control - click on the still below to view.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uWqkovPqKg&feature=youtu.be
  • What is end of harvest strip-picking
  • Why strip-pick and conduct field sanitation
  • How to strip-pick your coffee
  • What to do with coffee that was strip-picked
Two short videos on how to conduct the 30 Trees Sampling Method for CBB Monitoring - click on the stills below to view.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jb8hV0ID5_A
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ioL-IeogFU
  • Proper sampling methods and use of worksheets in the field to determine CBB infestation
  • Counting berries per branch
  • Counting infested berries per branch
  • Recording data
  • Collecting berries for dissection
  • Dissecting berries from the field to determine CBB damage and vulnerability to spray
  • Determining CBB position (A/B; C/D) and alive, dead or absent
  • Calculating % infestation
  • Calculating % A/B alive; % C/D
  • Making a decision to spray or not

Recomendaciones para el manejo integrado de plaga de la broca del café en Hawái 2016 

(Posted 6/28/17)
Thank you for your patience as we translated and published the Recommendations for Coffee Berry Borer Integrated Pest Management in Hawai‘i 2016 for Spanish readers. 
"Recomendaciones para el manejo integrado de plaga de la broca del café en Hawái 2016" is now available online and can be downloaded here or my clicking on the photo to the right.

Quarantine Restrictions Expanded to Coffee Grown on Maui 

(Posted 3/17/17)
​The Hawaii Board of Agriculture (on 3/14) expanded the coffee berry borer (CBB) quarantine to the island of Maui, effective May 1, 2017. The quarantine, which has been in effect on Hawaii Island and Oahu, restricts the interisland movement of coffee and other CBB hosts and requires treatment and other quarantine protocols. Although recent detections of CBB were located in Hana and Kipahulu, the board decided that an island-wide quarantine was necessary to prevent the further spread of CBB in the state.

If you need more information about the quarantine or permit requirements, please call Mr. Lance Sakaino, Acting Plant Quarantine Specialist, at 808-832-0566 or email to: HDOA.PQSPEC@hawaii.gov.

To read more about this quarantine, please click on the links below.

http://hdoa.hawaii.gov/blog/main/nr17-07cbbmauiquarantine/
https://hdoa.hawaii.gov/pi/files/2013/01/CBB-Quarantine-Maui.pdf
Chapter 4-72, HAR (Hawaii Administrative Rules)

CBB Response Manual

by Dr. Russell Messing - UH CTAHR ​
This document was created to provide coffee producers and farm managers and workers with approaches that may help to delay the time when CBB moves into currently uninfested coffee growing areas of the state. 

Information within this CBB Response Manual includes:
  1. Introduction and short history of CBB response in Hawaii
  2. Advanced preparation for the farm and mill
    1. Good management practices
    2. Training for field and mill workers
    3. Scouting for CBB in transects, and the role of traps
    4. Site-specific action plan
  3. How to respond to a new CBB invasion
    1. Confirmation of beetle identity
    2. Conducting a Delimitation Survey
    3. Decision-making and action response
Example of a laminated placard with CBB and coffee photos on heavy-duty stock, suitable for rough outdoor field usage and rainy conditions. These placards are available upon request from: messing@hawaii.edu.
Coffee Berry Borer (CBB)

Learn more about UH CTAHR's Cooperative Extension Service and the programs supported by various faculty and staff on and off the Manoa Campus

Contact website management if you require any assistance with the site or information provided.