UNITED STATES 28th September 2010

Parasitic insect the coffee berry borer has been found on coffee growing on several farms in the Kona region on the Big Island of Hawaii, according to local reports in mid-September, quoting officials at the Hawaii Department of Agriculture.

An official said that the discovery of the infestation was "terrible news" for the island's coffee industry, and confirmed that the pest could have been on the Big Island for several years, becoming well established in some South Kona growing areas.

State agriculture officials are in the process of monitoring Big Island farms to see how widespread the infestation is, but added that, after interviews with farmers, it appeared that the parasite may have been in the area between Kainaliu and Honaunau for over a year.