Hurricane "Lala" caused extensive damage to coffee plantations in the Kaʻū district.

Key coffee-growing areas were affected, including Pahala, Wood Valley, Pear Tree, and Cloud Rest. President of the Kaʻu Coffee Growers Cooperative, Gloria Camba, reported that trees were knocked to the ground, which portends serious harvest losses before the start of the peak harvesting season. Andrea Kawabata, an agent with the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, noted that washed-out roads are hindering access to plots, and overflowing rivers have destroyed parts of plantations located in low-lying areas.

Specialists emphasize that in addition to the physical destruction of trees, farms have faced the problem of root damage. Even surviving plants are at risk of dying due to "shaky tree syndrome," where micro-cracks in the roots open the way for fungal infections. The situation is aggravated by soil erosion, as in many places the fertile layer accumulated over decades has been washed away.

Owners of the affected farms, such as Alla Kostenko of A Coffee Farm, report the loss of 50 to 60% of trees in some plots. In addition to plantings, infrastructure has suffered damage: greenhouses, livestock fencing, and irrigation systems have been destroyed. At Miranda’s Farms, cases of fallen trees and damage to farm buildings have been recorded.

Besides coffee plantations, macadamia nut fields were severely affected: the hurricane stripped the fruits from the branches and destroyed part of the harvest that was already ready for picking. At the same time, the consequences of the disaster in the Kona district turned out to be less catastrophic. Bill Myers of Heavenly Hawaiian Kona Coffee Farm explained that in Kona, the damage is primarily secondary, related to the falling of branches from neighboring trees, and should not critically affect production volumes.

Farmers are advised to contact the USDA Farm Service Agency to document the damage. At the moment, experts find it difficult to assess whether it will be possible to carry out the harvest in the most affected Kaʻu zones during the current season.