"For us the most disappointing thing is the data lost, for not just us, but for the community," said Radovich.

Eight months of research vanished in a matter of hours.



Officials say once they harvest what they need for testing, the majority of the kalo is donated to area schools and non-profits.





"Hopefully somebody is eating it and enjoying it and we hope it nourishes them," Radovich said.





According to Radovich, the research plot in Waimanalo is the only certified organic Hawaiian kalo in the state.







"We're disappointed. It's not just a face-less entity that they were stealing from. This is actually folks working long and hard with the community to really try to generate some data that is valuable. They're not stealing from nobody, they're impacting people," described Radovich.





Radovich believes whoever is responsible is clearly familiar with kalo, because of the amount and way it was harvested, despite all the waste left behind.





"They cut the huli and they left most of the huli in the field, so it's clear they have experience with the crop for sure," Radovich described.





Radovich says agricultural theft is a major problem, not just at his location, but across the state.



