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Ranching Could Soon Come To An End On Moloka‘i. Paniolo Blame TB Testing
Ranchers say annual testing and movement bans have cut herds to about 220 cattle and could force island slaughter operations to close.
- Moloka'i ranchers threaten to stop mandatory tuberculosis testing, a move that could jeopardize Hawai'i's more than $75 million cattle industry and its disease-free status. Ranchers argue the ongoing quarantine destroys livelihoods without providing an exit strategy.
- State and federal agriculture authorities have enforced a strict quarantine on the island since 2021, requiring grueling annual testing following tuberculosis detections. The policy prevents livestock export to mainland feedlots, trapping ranchers on the island.
- The island's bovine population plummeted from over 10,000 in the 1980s to about 220 today. Testing requires animals to spend 72 hours in pens and endure multiple runs through tight chutes, compounding stress and labor costs.
- Local operations like V8 Ranch are shutting down, while Moloka'i Livestock Cooperative struggles to survive without local cattle to process. Ranchers warn the island's almost 200-year-old ranching tradition will die without a clear recovery plan.
- Paniolo are demanding authorities implement quarantine districts within the 260-square-mile island rather than whole-island bans. They seek to preserve remaining herds before the population effectively reaches zero within months if current mandates remain.
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources19
Leaning Left7Leaning Right4Center7Last UpdatedBias Distribution39% Left, 39% Center
Bias Distribution
- 39% of the sources lean Left, 39% of the sources are Center
39% Center
L 39%
C 39%
R 22%
Factuality
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