REPORT TITLE:
Taro research


DESCRIPTION:
Appropriates funds for taro research.  Establishes the taro
research special fund.  (HB1668 HD1)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        1668 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                H.B. NO.           H.D. 1
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR TARO RESEARCH.



BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      SECTION 1.  Taro is an integral plant and crop in the State
 
 2 because of its cultural, nutritional, and economic value.
 
 3 Culturally, taro, or kalo, is represented in the native Hawaiian
 
 4 myth of creationism, as the Haloanaka "brother of man, Haloa" and
 
 5 represents a crop that had the greatest influence in the daily
 
 6 lives of the kanaka maoli and their culture.  In the health
 
 7 community, taro represents the healthiest source of carbohydrate,
 
 8 contributing to the reduction of nutrition-related ailments.
 
 9 Economically, taro generates one of the highest sales revenue for
 
10 agricultural crops and one of the highest tax revenue for crops
 
11 grown and sold in the State.  The economic sustainability of taro
 
12 is key to its long-term survival.
 
13      In 1991, the taro industry generated $19,800,000 from farm,
 
14 poi/wholesale, and retail sales of poi and taro in the State.
 
15 The value-added product, poi, greatly increased the farm value of
 
16 taro by over five times per pound at retail.  The industry also
 
17 supported approximately three hundred ten jobs with $6,300,000
 
18 expended on wages.  In addition, the taro industry supported
 
19 other businesses by purchasing materials and supplies to operate
 

 
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 1 their business.  In the same year, the industry contributed
 
 2 nearly $1,000,000 to the State's tax revenues from the first
 
 3 round gross excise sale taxes, income taxes on wages paid to
 
 4 workers, and sales taxes on materials and supplies purchased for
 
 5 operations.
 
 6      Despite the immense contributions of the taro industry to
 
 7 the State's economy and lifestyle, taro yield and quality
 
 8 throughout the State is declining due to diseases and pests that
 
 9 afflict the leaves and corms of taro.  While diseases such as
 
10 leaf blight and pocket rot have been in the islands for many
 
11 years, severe yield losses, ranging from thirty per cent to
 
12 seventy per cent have been reported only after Hurricane Iniki in
 
13 1992.  The legislature finds that these two diseases are now
 
14 spreading rapidly throughout the State.
 
15      The purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds for taro
 
16 research to ensure the continued sustainability of this important
 
17 state crop and to establish a taro research special fund to be
 
18 administered by the agribusiness development corporation.
 
19 Initial research shall include the following:
 
20      (1)  Pathogenicity testing of fungal organisms in taro;
 
21      (2)  Field experiments to provide specific data for the
 
22           optimum growth and yield of wetland taro, with minimum
 

 
 
 
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 1           impact to the ecosystem in the paddy culture; and
 
 2      (3)  Analysis of field tests that determine higher taro
 
 3           yields through the use of disease-free plants, and
 
 4           optimum plant densities and nutrition.
 
 5      SECTION 2.  Chapter 163D, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
 
 6 amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated
 
 7 and to read as follows:
 
 8      "�163D-     Taro research special fund.  There is
 
 9 established the taro research special fund to be administered by
 
10 the corporation.  Any state appropriations or other moneys made
 
11 available for taro research shall be deposited into the special
 
12 fund.  All interest earned or accrued on moneys deposited in the
 
13 special fund shall become part of the special fund.  Moneys in
 
14 the special fund shall be expended for research on diseases and
 
15 other problems afflicting taro."
 
16      SECTION 3.  There is appropriated out of the general
 
17 revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $1 or so much thereof
 
18 as may be necessary for fiscal year 1999-2000 to be deposited
 
19 into the taro research special fund.
 
20      SECTION 4.  The sum appropriated shall be expended by the
 
21 agribusiness development corporation for the purposes of this
 
22 Act.
 
23      SECTION 5.  New statutory material is underscored.
 
24      SECTION 6.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 1999.