It's been over a year since a destructive wildfire swept through Maui and farmers are still struggling to recuperate their losses.
Maui's local agriculture producers — whether they came in direct contact with the flames or not — say they continue to feel the economic impact caused by last year's decrease in product demand.
“Our particular farm is down in production. We lost, conservatively, I'd say $300 to $500 a week,” said Maui-based farmer Vincent Mina. “It's kind of a double-edged sword. There's more focus on local produce and people wanting more local produce, but tourism drives a lot of that — the hotels and stuff wanting to source locally.”
Mina, who just wrapped up a term on the state Board of Agriculture, owns and operates Kahanu Aina Greens in Wailuku.
Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority data shows that in the first half of 2024, Maui County had just about 76% of the visitors it had over the same period last year.
Visitor spending dropped by a similar rate. The $2.64 billion in visitor spending on Maui during the first half of the year was about $830 million less than the same period last year.
Maui also lost nearly 6,500 jobs, and about 2,100 of those were in “food service and drinking places,” according to data from the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.
Maui County Farm Bureau Executive Director Warren Watanabe said it could also be a tough few months ahead.
“We just started a dry season and a drought. From what we've been told it’s going to get worse in the coming months,” Watanabe said.
Dry conditions are difficult enough for farmers, but invasive species — like axis deer — have also contributed to the problem.
Both Watanabe and Mina advocated for systemic changes in Hawaiʻi agriculture to help Maui farmers.
Mina, for some time, has wanted the local government to set up a system to encourage private sector support to fund local agriculture. He wants “to only use government for policy, not go to the government for money.”
“The private sector support would pay for it, and then they would only have their names on it, as opposed to a return on investment," Mina said. "I feel there's enough money within Hawaiʻi and people who live in Hawaiʻi who have big bucks who'd be happy to leave a legacy like that.”
In general, Watanabe said improvements in value-added production, institutional purchasing of local food by hospitals, schools and prisons, along with increased government support could boost the success of Maui farms.
He reminds the public that buying local produce also makes a difference.
“The way the community can help them is to continue to support by purchasing local products. Whether you're going to the supermarket or to the farmers markets, try to support our local producers,” Watanabe said.
