Jill Tokuda: “As a member of the House Agriculture Committee, the impact of the fires on Maui and Hawaii Island were not lost on me.…”

“As a member of the House Agriculture Committee, the impact of the fires on Maui and Hawaii Island were not lost on me. The USDA estimates that over $23 million were lost in revenue, crops, property, and livestock. With 8,350 acres of agricultural lands burned, millions in sales were lost, water and irrigation infrastructure destroyed, and everything from crops and cattle to machinery and fencing incinerated on that fateful day. In addition to the fires, the 80 mile-per-hour winds decimated some of Maui's oldest and most iconic farms. I walked heartbroken through Hashimoto's Persimmon Farm and saw most of the fruit that should have been part of a bumper crop year on the ground. Their branches turned and their leaves gone, the survival of these century-old trees are now in jeopardy. Even before the fires, Mr. Speaker, agriculture was a hard life in Hawaii, but if we truly want to build back better and stronger, agriculture must and will be a part of our islands' future. From agroforestry techniques to help prevent fires to rebuilding water infrastructure and helping our farmers, ranchers, and producers not just survive but thrive, we now have a chance to do better. ____________________”