State Offers $1,500 Emergency Grants to Storm-Impacted Hawaii Farmers

Flood damage tore through operations like the Greenwell Coffee Farm nursery in South Kona after the back-to-back Kona Low storms, and the Hawaiʻi Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity has now moved to respond, establishing the Emergency Farmer Relief Program with $500,000 authorized from the department's restricted funds.

The program covers farmers and ranchers statewide impacted by Kona Low 1 and Kona Low 2, with farms, ranches and businesses eligible to receive a one-time grant of $1,500 to address immediate needs resulting from the storms. Big Island growers from Keʻaukaha to Kaʻū and Kona coffee farms are explicitly among the intended beneficiaries.

Applications opened Tuesday, March 24, and applicants who complete and submit applications by Friday, March 27, will be prioritized for funding. Awards will be announced the week of March 30. The window is narrow, leaving eligible producers fewer than four days to pull together their paperwork for priority consideration.

Applicants must have experienced damage or losses from the storms and must provide a General Excise Tax (GET) license proving they conduct business in the state. The program application is available on the DAB website at dab.hawaii.gov/emergencyfarmerrelief.

"While the full impacts from the Kona Low 1 and Kona Low 2 storms are still being assessed, we know our agricultural producers have been severely impacted by these events," said Sharon Hurd, chairperson of the Hawaiʻi Board of Agriculture. "The Emergency Farmer Relief funding aims to support our agriculture industry with grant money to start recovering from the disaster or provide brief financial stability during this time."

Governor Josh Green said farmers are "a crucial lifeline for our food security," adding that as the state works to increase the islands' independence from offshore food imports, it must support the farmers and ranchers supplying produce and meats to local grocery stores, schools and restaurants. "This emergency funding for our agriculture communities emphasizes their essential role in our state's food security and our commitment to aid in their recovery."

The application is available on the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity website, and those with limited internet access can call the Governor's Office of Recovery and Resiliency at (808) 586-0034 for help completing the application. Questions on the program or application can also be directed to dab.efr@hawaii.gov.

The Hawaiʻi Board of Agriculture will separately consider a DAB request to activate an emergency agricultural loan program for damage caused by the Kona Low storms; if approved as requested, emergency loans of up to $100,000 would be available at 3% interest for qualified agricultural producers. For more information on the loan program, contact the Agricultural Loan Division at 808-973-9460 or dab.agloan@hawaii.gov.