Hawaii launches emergency relief grants for farmers affected by recent storms

Hawaii state agencies have launched an Emergency Farmer Relief grant program to support farmers and ranchers affected by three recent major storms, Maui Now reported. The Governor's Office, the Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity, and the Department of Accounting and General Services are working together to deliver the financial aid. [1]

The relief initiative responds to damage caused by three major storms named Lala, Lowell, and Moke, according to Maui Now. The series of storms affected the state over a three-week stretch running from mid-August through the first week of September, impacting areas from Niihau in Kauai County to Naalehu on Hawaii Island. [1]

As HEROIC BREAKING NEWS reported earlier, local groups on Kauai previously distributed over $364,000 in emergency relief following Hurricane Lowell. In that effort, Malama Kauai provided an average of $2,000 to 161 households, farms, ranches, cultural sites, and fishing businesses, while Kauai United Way distributed $14,000 in aid to residents. [5]

The newly announced state program aims to provide direct disaster support to ensure local agricultural operations can recover from the widespread storm damage, Maui Now reported. [1]