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Volcanic activity takes the buzz out of Hawaii’s coffee harvest

Coffee farmers in Hawaii are citing volcanic activity for a poor harvest.

Lava spews in Kilauea's East Rift Zone on May 23, 2018 in Pahoa, Hawaii, amid eruptions from the Kilauea volcano.
Lava spews in Kilauea's East Rift Zone on May 23, 2018 in Pahoa, Hawaii, amid eruptions from the Kilauea volcano.
RONIT FAHL/AFP/Getty Images

2018 was a year of natural disasters on the Big Island of Hawaii, where residents endured floods, hurricanes, and a volcanic eruption. Agriculture is a major part of that island’s economy, and crop yields are way down for one of the Big Island’s most important commodities, coffee. Coffee growers on the Kona Coast are reporting varying declines in crop yields, some around 40 percent. 

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