REPORT TITLE:
Taro research


DESCRIPTION:
Appropriates funds for taro research by the University of Hawaii
college of tropical agriculture and human resources.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        
THE SENATE                              S.B. NO.           1536
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________


                   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 values.
 
 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 nutritionally-related ailments.
 
 9 Economically, taro generates one of the highest total sales
 
10 revenue for agricultural crops and one of the highest tax
 
11 revenues for crops grown and sold in the State.  Of the three
 
12 values presented, the economic sustainability of taro is key to
 
13 its long-term survival.
 
14      In 1991, the taro industry generated $19,800,000 from farm,
 
15 poi/wholesale, and retail sales of poi and taro in the State.
 
16 The value-added product, poi, greatly increased the farm value of
 
17 taro by over five times per pound at retail.  The industry also
 
18 supported approximately 310 jobs with $6,300,000 expended on
 
19 wages.  In addition, the taro industry supported other businesses
 

 
Page 2                                                     
                                     S.B. NO.           1536
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1 by purchasing materials and supplies to operate their business.
 
 2 In the same year, the industry contributed nearly $1,000,000 to
 
 3 the State's tax revenues from the first round gross excise sale
 
 4 taxes, income taxes on wages paid to workers, and sales taxes on
 
 5 materials and supplies purchased for 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 legislature further finds that in response to urgent
 
16 appeals from taro growers to the University of Hawaii college of
 
17 tropical agriculture and human resources (UH-CTAHR), there is a
 
18 strong need and demand to provide workable strategies that will
 
19 enable the growers and the UH-CTAHR to restore taro yields to
 
20 pre-Iniki levels.  In fact, a team of researchers and extension
 
21 agents, in concurrence with taro farmers from Hanalei, Kauai,
 
22 reached consensus to undertake short-term and long-term
 
23 strategies to deal with the decline in the taro yield.
 

 
Page 3                                                     
                                     S.B. NO.           1536
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1      To obtain answers to the cause of the decline in taro yield,
 
 2 a UH-CTAHR interdisciplinary team will work to achieve the
 
 3 following objectives:
 
 4      (1)  Determine the role of microbial pathogens on taro
 
 5           pocket role and phytophthora leaf blight;
 
 6      (2)  Determine the effect of soil and crop management of
 
 7           crop yield and the severity of taro pocket rot and
 
 8           phytophthora leaf blight; and
 
 9      (3)  Evaluate poi quality and luau taro varieties for
 
10           resistance to taro pocket rot, phytophthora leaf
 
11           blight, and pythium root rot.
 
12      The purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds for taro
 
13 research to ensure the continued sustainability of this important
 
14 state crop.
 
15      SECTION 2.  There is appropriated out of the general
 
16 revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $177,637 so much
 
17 thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 1999-2000 for
 
18 research on diseases and other problems afflicting taro
 
19 throughout the State to be performed by the University of Hawaii
 
20 college of tropical agriculture and human resources as follows:
 
21      (1)  $59,974 for pathogenicity testing of fungal organisms
 
22           in taro;
 

 
 
 
Page 4                                                     
                                     S.B. NO.           1536
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1      (2)  $62,225 to conduct field experiments to provide
 
 2           specific data for the optimum growth and yield of
 
 3           wetland taro, with minimum impact to the ecosystem in
 
 4           the paddy culture; and
 
 5      (3)  $55,438 to analyze field tests that determine higher
 
 6           taro yields through the use of disease-free plants, and
 
 7           optimum plant densities and nutrition.
 
 8      SECTION 3.  The sum appropriated shall be expended by the
 
 9 University of Hawaii for the purposes of this Act.
 
10      SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 1999.
 
11 
 
12                           INTRODUCED BY:  _______________________