Hawaii Flooding Damages Farms and Reduces Produce at Markets

Back-to-back storms in March brought Hawaii's worst flooding in two decades to Oahu's North Shore, damaging small farms that supply local food markets. The reddish-brown mud that covered Bok Kongphan's farm has hardened in the sun. Irrigation tubes lie tangled where his lemongrass, cucumber and okra once grew.

His niece Jeni Balanay also lost her crops, including choy sum, bitter melon and tomato.

Brian Miyamoto, executive director of the Hawaii Farm Bureau, said entire farms were wiped out in some cases. Data collected by farming advocates showed more than 600 of Hawaii's 6,500 farms reported nearly $40 million in damage to crops, livestock and machinery.

Miyamoto said the farm bureau estimates the full extent reaches $50 million at close to 2,000 farms. Hawaii farms are often too small and diversified to qualify for crop insurance. The majority report less than $10,000 in annual sales, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The flooding, along with high winds and power outages, killed or stressed livestock and destroyed equipment and infrastructure.

Available help includes federal disaster relief, one-time $1,500 emergency grants, state loans and a charitable fund that raised about $850,000. Officials have conducted tests to assure farmers that soil is safe and provided seeds and plant starts. Some farmers have been unable to reach markets, a key income source.

Farmer Kula Uliʻi said her family has brought roughly one-quarter of their usual output, selling 60 pounds of tomatoes instead of 200 pounds at weekend markets. She said taro was lost after submersion in flood contaminants. Bok Kongphan said the floods were very devastating but plans to continue working his 5-acre plot, selling vegetables at farmers markets, a swap meet and shops in Honolulu's Chinatown.