The Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture says the coffee berry borer has been spotted on Maui at a farm in Kīpahulu. The larvae of the small beetle feeds on unpicked coffee beans, reducing yield and quality of the product. It’s the second sighting on Maui in two months… the first in Hāna last November.

The borer was first detected in 2010 in Ka‘ū, and has been managed with organic pesticides and field sanitation.

HDOA’s Plant Quarantine Branch is working to expand quarantine protocol for coffee plants from Maui to uninfested areas. John Mchugh is the Plant Industry Administrator with the Department of Agriculture.

UH-CTAHR, HDOA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will be holding two Maui workshops on Monday, January 9th at the Kula Community Center, East Lower Kula Rd.) to provide information to coffee farmers and other interested parties:

• 10:00 a.m. – noon - CBB 101 (General information on CBB)

• 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. – CBB Update (Information on CBB research and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies)

Registration is required.

To view the workshop flyer with more information, go to: http://hawaiicoffee.weebly.com/2017-cbb-workshops.html

Or contact Gina at 808-322-4892 by January 6th.