Due to the recent highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) detections in livestock on the mainland, the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture (HDOA) has placed a restriction on the transport of cattle from premises where HPAI has infected cattle. Currently, HPAI has been detected in dairy cattle in Texas, Kansas, New Mexico, Idaho, Ohio and Michigan; however, the restriction will be placed on any future areas where HPAI-infected cattle are found. No infected cattle have been detected in Hawai‘i.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention currently considers the effect on human health as low risk even in areas on the mainland where HPAI infections in animals have occurred.
The Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture is reminding travelers attending the Merrie Monarch Festival this week that quarantine restrictions remain on the transport of ʻōhiʻa from Hawaiʻi Island due to the fungal plant disease, rapid ʻōhiʻa death, which is devastating to native forests. The Merrie Monarch Festival begins in Hilo on March 31 and ends April 6.
The Hawai’i Department of Agriculture Plant Industry Division is accepting applications for the Compost Reimbursement Program for Fiscal Year 2024, which may reimburse agricultural producers for the cost of purchasing compost, including transportation costs.