STAND. COM. REP. NO.2097

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2002

RE: S.B. No. 2665

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred S.B. No. 2665 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURAL MARKETING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish a five-year pilot project under the Agribusiness Development Corporation to assist farmers with marketing their produce and products.

Your Committee received testimony in favor of this measure from the Agribusiness Development Corporation, Maui County Farm Bureau, Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, North Shore Farms, Hawaii Leeward Planning Conference, Waialua Farmers, and an individual.

Your Committee finds that the concept of a statewide marketing effort will allow farmers a mechanism to consolidate and market their produce in a cohesive manner. Marketing locally and especially overseas will help many smaller farmers compete in the world market.

Your Committee has amended this measure by omitting the reference to sugar and pineapple plantations so as not to suggest any negative connotations of the State's agricultural history. Nonsubstantive, technical amendments were made as well.

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. 2665, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2665, 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