REPORT TITLE:
Taro Research


DESCRIPTION:
Appropriates funds for taro research.  (SD1)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        1668 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                H.B. NO.           H.D. 1
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                S.D. 1
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 general excise
 
 3 taxes, income taxes on wages paid to workers, and taxes on
 
 4 materials and supplies purchased for operations.
 
 5      Despite the immense contributions of the taro industry to
 
 6 the State's economy and lifestyle, taro yield and quality
 
 7 throughout the State is declining due to diseases and pests that
 
 8 afflict the leaves and corms of taro.  While diseases such as
 
 9 leaf blight and pocket rot have been in the islands for many
 
10 years, severe yield losses, ranging from thirty per cent to
 
11 seventy per cent have been reported only after Hurricane Iniki in
 
12 1992.  The legislature finds that these two diseases are now
 
13 spreading rapidly throughout the State.
 
14      The purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds for taro
 
15 research to ensure the continued sustainability of this important
 
16 state crop.  Initial research shall include the following:
 
17      (1)  Pathogenicity testing of fungal organisms in taro;
 
18      (2)  Field experiments to provide specific data for the
 
19           optimum growth and yield of wetland taro, with minimum
 
20           impact to the ecosystem in the paddy culture; and
 
21      (3)  Analysis of field tests that determine higher taro
 
22           yields through the use of disease-free plants, and
 
23           optimum plant densities and nutrition.
 

 
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                                     H.B. NO.           H.D. 1
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 1      SECTION 2.  There is appropriated out of the general
 
 2 revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $180,000 or so much
 
 3 thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 1999-2000 for
 
 4 research on diseases and other problems afflicting taro
 
 5 throughout the State to be performed by the University of Hawaii
 
 6 college of tropical agriculture and human resources.
 
 7      SECTION 3.  The sum appropriated shall be expended by the
 
 8 department of agriculture for the purposes of this Act.
 
 9      SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 1999.