Governor Josh Green releases $150,000 for Alae Postharvest Facility improvements in Hilo

Governor Josh Green has released $150,000 in Capital Improvement Program (CIP) grant-in-aid funds to support upgrades at the Alae Postharvest Facility in Hilo. The funding will help extend an existing concrete slab and construct a new metal building as part of a larger CIP project sponsored by the Big Island Resource Conservation and Development Council, Hawaiʻi.

Senator Lorraine R. Inouye, whose district includes Hilo, Paukaʻa, Papaʻikou and Pepeʻekeo, announced the release and thanked the administration for the investment in local agriculture and community infrastructure. “Thank you to Governor Green and his administration for releasing these funds and for their continued investment in projects that strengthen local agriculture and community infrastructure,” said Senator Inouye. The announcement added that “Investments in projects like the Alae Postharvest Facility are essential to maintaining strong agricultural infrastructure and supporting local producers. These improvements will help build a more resilient and self-sustaining Hawaiʻi.”

The $150,000 is classified as a CIP Grant-in-Aid and is funded through general obligation bond funds. This project qualifies as a grant pursuant to Chapter 42F, Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes. The release credits Governor Josh Green with releasing the funds and identifies the Big Island Resource Conservation and Development Council, Hawaiʻi as the project sponsor responsible for carrying out the improvements at the Hilo facility.

Local stakeholders see practical benefits from the targeted work. Extending the concrete slab will increase usable postharvest staging and processing space, while the new metal building is expected to provide covered area for sorting, packing and storage that supports local producers and farm-to-school logistics. The release noted the timing aligns with statewide efforts to increase local sourcing; the work is timely as it supports the state’s aggressive mandate to source 30 percent of school food locally by 2030.

Several project details remain unannounced. Officials have not released a construction schedule, contractor names or the total budget for the larger CIP project. No formal statement from the governor’s office was included in the announcement, and the Big Island Resource Conservation and Development Council did not provide a separate quote in the release.

Residents and community partners seeking more information can contact Sheryl Turbeville, Director of Communications for the Senate Majority, at s.turbeville@capitol.hawaii.gov or 808.586.6291 for media inquiries and follow-ups. County permitting, procurement and Department of Education coordination will determine how quickly work proceeds and whether the upgrades will directly support expanded school food purchasing from Big Island farms.

For Hilo neighborhoods that depend on local agriculture, the released funds mark a small but concrete step toward shoring up postharvest capacity. The next milestones to watch are the announcement of a contractor, permit approvals and a construction timeline that will show when the slab extension and metal building will come online to serve local producers and school food programs.