Department of Agriculture

HONOLULU — The Hawai`i Department of Agriculture will be holding informational meetings around the state to inform livestock farming operations about the State’s new Livestock Feed Reimbursement Program (LFRP). The LFRP was developed to implement Act 221, passed by the 2007 Hawai`i Legislature, which appropriated a total of $6 million over two years to help revitalize Hawaii’s livestock industry, which is struggling with the high cost of livestock feed that must be imported from the mainland. By assisting the livestock industry with feed costs, the program will also help Hawai`i livestock farmers remain competitive with mainland producers and contribute to Hawaii’s food security.

Informational meetings will be held at the following locations and times:

O`AHU

October 29, 2007
9:00 a.m.
HDOA Plant Quarantine Conference Room
1849 Auiki Street, Honolulu

BIG ISLAND

October 30, 2007
9:00 a.m.
HDOA Hilo Office
16 E. Lanikaula Street, Hilo

October 30, 2007
2:00 p.m.
HDOA Waimea Irrigation System Office
66-1220B Lalamilo Road, Kamuela

MAUI
November 2, 2007
9:00 a.m.
HDOA Office Conference Room
635 Mua Street, Kahului

KAUA`I

November 7, 2007
9:00 a.m.
HDOA Office, Conference Room
4398A Pua Loke Street, Lihue

MOLOKA`I

November 8, 2007
10:00 a.m.
Moloka`i Irrigation System Office
Puupeelua Avenue, (next to Post Office), Hoolehua

Under the program, qualified dairy, cattle, hog and poultry farms may apply for up to 60 percent of the farm’s feed expense. Special forms and documentation are required in order for the reimbursement for feed costs incurred after July 1, 2007. Reimbursements may not exceed a total of $250,000 per qualified producer per year.

In order for a farm to qualify for the reimbursement program, the farm must be in the business of producing:

milk from a herd of not less that 350 cows;
poultry from a flock of not less than 3,000 birds;
pork from a herd of not less than 50 sows; or
beef producers who finish at least 100 head annually.

The program will reimburse qualified farms according to the following formula:

40 percent of the feed costs incurred for milk production;
60 percent of the feed costs incurred for production of poultry products;
50 percent of the feed costs incurred for pigs raised in Hawai`i and slaughtered for local consumption; or
50 percent of the feed costs for beef cattle raised in Hawai`i and slaughtered in Hawai`i for local consumption.

More information on the program is available on the HDOA website at: https://www.hawaii.gov/hdoa/add/add_md/LFRP/LFRP

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