Kauaʻi now designated as a coffee berry borer-infested area
Interisland movement restrictions change after almost every island with commercial coffee production is infested with the coffee berry borer.
7 hours ago
The Board of Agriculture and Biosecurity has expanded the designated coffee berry borer-infested areas to include the islands of Kauaʻi and Lānaʻi.
The coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei) is a small beetle native to Africa and is the most harmful insect pest of coffee worldwide. The same plant can host three to five generations of beetles, with up to 100 beetles found in a single fruit.
The request for the board’s designation of the islands of Lānaʻi and Kauaʻi as coffee berry borer-infested areas follows similar designations of Hawaiʻi Island in 2010 and Oʻahu in 2015. The designation goes into effect today, June 24, 2026.
With the board designating the islands of Lānaʻi and Kauaʻi as coffee berry borer-infested areas, almost every island with commercial coffee production is considered infested with the coffee berry borer. The island of Molokaʻi remains the only island not considered infested with the coffee berry borer.
The current restrictions on the interisland movement of green coffee beans for roasting or consumption, used coffee bags, and coffee harvesting equipment will no longer require permits and inspections but are still subject to periodic and random inspections. The board’s designation still requires a permit for the interisland movement of coffee plants and propagative plant parts, including seeds for planting, to prevent the movement of pests.
A permit and disinfestation treatment are still required for the interisland movement of green coffee beans for roasting or consumption, used coffee bags, and coffee harvesting equipment being transported to Molokaʻi. Coffee plants and propagative plant parts, including seeds for planting, will also continue to require a permit and a one-year quarantine period before being allowed to be transported to Molokaʻi.
For more information about the expanded infested area or permit requirements, contact the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity’s Plant Quarantine Branch Acting Plant Specialist, Techie Lancaster, at 808-832-0566, or email dab.pqspec@@hawaii.gov.
