What's Being Discussed
The Hawaii Board of Agriculture and Biosecurity will meet on October 27, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. The meeting will be held both in person at the Plant Quarantine Branch in Honolulu and via Zoom. Key topics include:

Farm loans: Three loan requests from local agricultural businesses — a farm ownership/improvement loan for Maui Coconut Caregivers, LLC; an operating loan for Hawaiian Agricultural Products, LLC; and an emergency loan for Kahuku Farms, Inc.
Agricultural land lease transfers: Requests to transfer state farm leases at three locations — Waimānalo (Oʻahu), Keāhole Agricultural Park (Hawaiʻi Island), and Lālāmilo Farm Lots (Hawaiʻi Island).
Lease amendment on Kauaʻi: A proposed update to a Kōloa, Kauaʻi lease that would fix an expiration date error, allow limited diversified farming, and lift a restriction on using the land as a primary residence, along with a 30-year extension.
Biocontrol wasp proposal: A request to begin the process of approving a small parasitic wasp, Metaphycus macadamiae, for use as a biological pest control agent targeting a scale insect that damages macadamia and other plants.
Invasive species update: A non-voting informational update on the state's Invasive Species Action Plan.

Decisions Expected

Approval or denial of three agricultural loans
Approval or denial of three farm lease transfers and one lease amendment with extension
Preliminary approval to move forward with a public hearing process on adding the biocontrol wasp to the state's restricted animals list

Who Should Pay Attention

Farmers and agricultural businesses seeking state loans or leasing state farmland
Macadamia nut growers and others affected by scale insect pests
Residents concerned about invasive species or biosecurity in Hawaii
Anyone interested in how state agricultural lands are managed