NEWS RELEASE: EMERGENCY FARMER RELIEF GRANTS ANNOUNCED TO HELP IN DISASTER RELIEF AND REBUILD

STATE OF HAWAIʻI

KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

JOSH GREEN, M.D.

GOVERNOR

KE KIAʻĀINA

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND BIOSECURITY

ʻOIHANA MAHIʻAI A KIAʻI MEAOLA

SHARON HURD

CHAIRPERSON

KA LUNA HOʻOKELE

DEAN M. MATSUKAWA

DEPUTY TO THE CHAIRPERSON

KA HOPE LUNA HOʻOKELE

EMERGENCY FARMER RELIEF GRANTS ANNOUNCED TO HELP IN DISASTER RELIEF AND REBUILD

NR26-26

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 30, 2026

HONOLULU — An Emergency Farmer Relief (EFR) grant program has been implemented to help farmers and ranchers affected by the recent natural disasters hitting Hawaiʻi.

The Governor’s Office, Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity (DAB) and Department of Accounting and General Services (DAGS) are teaming up on the project to provide the disaster support in response to three major storms, Lala, Lowell and Moke. The storms severely impacted Hawaiʻi from Niʻihau in Kauaʻi County to Nāʻālehu on Hawaiʻi Island, during a more than three-week stretch from mid-August through the first week of September.

“The trio of storms did severe damage to our islands, destroying homes, wiping out major roads, even devastating the places where we bury and honor our loved ones,” said Governor Josh Green. “Our agriculture industry was not spared. Relief for those communities across Hawaiʻi is critical. This new EFR Program will help farmers and ranchers repair infrastructure, replace damaged or destroyed equipment and get back to doing the work of sustaining our state.”

Starting November 2, applicants from farms, orchards, ranches and similar operations with affected agricultural lands across the state are eligible to receive up to $1,500 in relief funding through the Governor’s Office. The online application portal will take submissions until January 29, 2027.

“We saw with the Kona low storms earlier this year how vital it was to quickly get much needed relief money into the hands of our farmers and ranchers, who are the lifeblood of Hawaiʻi,” said Sharon Hurd, chair of the Board of Agriculture and Biosecurity. “These funds will allow the people who do the hard work of producing food for the people of Hawaiʻi to get back on their feet and into the fields and pastures for that essential work.”

How does EFR work?

Each eligible applicant can receive at most one check of $1,500 per year.
The applicant will provide enough information to create an invoice, allowing DAB to issue a check to the correct individual.
Applicants will need to submit a W-9, Schedule C or Schedule F, to their tax returns as proof of work as a farmer or rancher.
The EFR program has a limited amount of funds. If more applicants are eligible than funds available, DAB will process applications on a first-come, first-served basis.

A link will be available on the DAB website at dab.hawaii.gov

DAB hopes to have EFR funding checks available for pickup starting early to mid-January at locations across the state. Applicants will be informed as to where and when they will be able to collect their checks.

During the relief effort from the earlier Kona lows DAB was able to provide funding to roughly 1,300 members of the agricultural community.

For more information email [email protected] or call 808-973-9560.

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