STAND. COM. REP. NO.367

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2001

RE: S.B. No. 1238

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred S.B. No. 1238 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION TO THE MACADAMIA NUT INDUSTRY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to fund an extension agent and a tree replacement and water program for the macadamia nut industry.

Your Committee received testimony in favor of this measure from the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, MacFarms Hawaii, and Hawaii Macadamia Nut Association. The Department of Agriculture commented on this measure.

Your Committee finds that Hawaii's macadamia nut industry is a significant part of the State's agricultural industry. For Hawaii's macadamia industry to maintain and expand its international presence, investment must be made in research and development. The appropriation provided by this measure will encourage research knowledge sharing through an extension agent. In addition, the cost to farmers to replace their orchards with higher yielding trees will also be subsidized.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Providing that the extension agent shall not be precluded from working in the areas of bananas and tropical fruits;

(2) Specifying that the University of Hawaii shall expend the funds to hire the extension agent;

(3) Limiting the allowable tree replacement cost to $5 per tree; and

(4) Deleting the language referring to a water program.

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. 1238, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1238, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________

JAN YAGI BUEN, Chair