STAND. COM. REP. NO. 48

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 835

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committees on Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs and Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 835 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to support the diversified agriculture industry by appropriating funds for the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources to develop a long range plan for a food innovation and security center to develop and promote new, safe, high-quality, high-value agricultural products from Hawaii.

 

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaii; the Department of Agriculture; Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation; Maui County Farm Bureau; Big Island Candies; and the Hawaii Food Industry Association.

 

     Agriculture and its value-added products contribute $2,400,000,000 to the State's economy and employ more than 38,000 people.  The value of diversified agriculture has more than doubled during the past twenty-five years, and this growth indicates an improvement in the State's food security and lessens the State's dependence on food imports.  Despite these favorable numbers, more needs to be done to ensure a higher level of food security and self-sufficiency for the State.

 

     Your Committees find that creating a food innovation and security center will assist Hawaii's agricultural and value-added businesses to bring to market products whose quality and value offset the State's high costs of land, labor, water, and transportation.  This center will focus on Hawaii's statewide food needs by providing value-added businesses assistance with developing new products from Hawaii-grown produce, and providing agricultural producers assistance with producing safe, wholesome foods that meet Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), and Health Approved Safety Standards Protection (HASSP) certification standards.

 

     Your Committees believe that this measure will support and assist in the expansion of diversified agriculture.  A food innovation and security center will promote the production of high-quality, high-value, safety-certified food products for both local and export markets, which will result in the continued growth of Hawaii's diversified agricultural industry.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs and Education that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 835 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs and Education,

 

____________________________

NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair

 

____________________________

RUSSELL S. KOKUBUN, Chair