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

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.