STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2292

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 2272

 

 

 

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred S.B. No. 2272 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A VAPOR HEAT TREATMENT FACILITY,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds for the construction of a vapor heat treatment facility by the Agribusiness Development Corporation on the island of Hawaii.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Agribusiness Development Corporation; Diversified Ag Products, Inc.; Calavo Growers, Inc.; Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation; Hawaii Farmers Union; and one individual.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from Hawaiian Rainbow Products and Diamond Heat Papaya Co., Ltd.

 

     Your Committee finds that many of the tropical fruits grown in Hawaii cannot be transported to markets on the mainland or other countries that prohibit the entry of fruit fly hosts without quarantine treatment.  Your Committee further finds that vapor heat treatment is lethal to pests such as fruit flies.

 

     While your Committee understands that this measure may help to increase the amount of tropical fruits that Hawaii may export, your Committee notes that there are already four existing vapor heat treatment facilities in Hawaii and that the Agribusiness Development Corporation plans to partner with a processor and distributor on the island of Hawaii to operate a new vapor heat facility if funds are appropriated for its construction.  Although it was reported that the existing vapor heat treatment facilities may be operating below full capacity, your Committee is concerned that an additional vapor heat treatment facility may be unnecessary and may actually hurt Hawaii's papaya industry by saturating the market and driving prices down for Hawaii-grown papaya.

 

Your Committee hopes that there will be continued discussion on the need for an additional vapor heat treatment facility as this measure progresses.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2272 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Agriculture,

 

 

 

____________________________

CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair