±á²¹·É²¹¾±Ê»¾± Agriculture Department Loses Another Deputy
High vacancy rates, particularly in key leadership positions, have cast doubt over the department’s ability to strengthen protections against invasive species.
The recent departure of a second deputy director in the state Department of Agriculture is stoking anxiety over its ability to reinvigorate a sagging industry in ±á²¹·É²¹¾±Ê»¾±.
Dexter Kishida submitted his resignation last month, officially starting a new role on Jan. 2 with the Department of Transportation. That’s where his predecessor, Morris Atta, went when he stepped down soon after Agriculture Director Sharon Hurd was confirmed in late March 2023.
Staff turnover and vacancies have been fueling concerns over the efficacy of a department facing mounting pressure to boost agricultural production and better protect ±á²¹·É²¹¾±Ê»¾± from the severe effects of invasive species.
Those vacancies have included leadership positions responsible for managing the disbursement of agricultural loans and overseeing the plant industry.
The loss of Kishida surprised state Sen. Tim Richards of North Kohala on the Big Island. The rancher and veterinarian is particularly focused on ramping up ±á²¹·É²¹¾±Ê»¾±’s agricultural economy but is worried about how the department’s current leadership will realize that goal.
Kishida played a key role, often acting as the interface between legislators, the public and his department, particularly during the 2024 legislative session.
“We need leadership,” Richards said. “With all these changes, I am very concerned.”
Veteran agriculture department employee Dean Matsukawa came out of retirement to replace Kishida. He started Friday.
Lawmakers have criticized the department for its inability to fill longstanding vacancies and being slow to change and stuck in its ways, as the state confronts rapidly spreading invasive species. Little fire ants and coconut rhinoceros beetles are particularly problematic, causing public outcry throughout 2024.
Legislators agreed to pump $20 million into increasing staff and funding for invasive species control last year, but Gov. Josh Green cut that in half due to concerns over
The department is seeking an additional $28 million for the next two years in the upcoming legislative session, which starts Wednesday. It intends to put a sizable chunk of that funding toward biosecurity, with almost $13 million for mitigation programs and 44 new, full-time biosecurity positions.
But the Plant Industry Division, which oversees all of the agency’s biosecurity efforts, remains without an administrator. The Agricultural Loan Division, which helps fund farmers’ and ranchers’ work, has lacked an administrator since 2023.
Those roles have been either vacant or temporarily filled by workers on 89-day contracts since Hurd took the helm. Many other roles have not been filled, and Hurd said the vacancy rate has hardly changed since last year.
“When I started, we knew that our plant industry administrator was retiring, we knew our ag loan admin was retiring. We knew people were retiring,” Hurd said.
Still, she said, those roles have remained open for too long, so the department will attempt to expedite the hiring process.
The state’s track record does not instill much confidence. The administration said in July that filling the plant industry administrator role was a priority. Officials have blamed, among other things, a congested application pipeline and an inability to attract talent away from the private sector, which typically offers more competitive salaries.
Hurd said she would fill that role until the department hires someone, which she expects by mid-February.
Meanwhile, her longtime colleague Carol Okada is overseeing the millions of dollars in biosecurity programs as an administrative assistant. Okada has been a controversial figure among invasive species workers, criticized for not being collaborative.
Matsukawa will oversee the agricultural loan division, a role he played before retirement.
“Hawai‘i Grown” is funded in part by grants from the Stupski Foundation, Ulupono Fund at the Hawai‘i Community Foundation and the Frost Family Foundation.
