Bill > HR86

This Resolution urges the Department of Agriculture to help coffee farmers buy organic fertilizer to combat coffee leaf rust, a damaging plant disease that has spread across all Hawaiian Islands and threatens the state's coffee industry. The resolution highlights that while a pesticide subsidy program exists to help farmers purchase fungicides and a fungus to fight coffee berry borers, it does not cover the cost of fertilizer, which is crucial for maintaining the health and immunity of coffee trees. By supporting the purchase of organic fertilizer, the aim is to strengthen coffee plants, reduce their susceptibility to diseases like coffee leaf rust, and lessen the reliance on potentially risky and expensive chemical treatments.