Report Title:

Agricultural Research and Outreach; Appropriation

Description:

Appropriates funds to the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources at the University of Hawaii at Manoa for various agricultural research and outreach programs.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

154

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2003

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

relating to agriculture.

 

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

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that Hawaii must diversify its economic base beyond a reliance on tourism. A revived state agricultural industry holds the promise of not only diversifying Hawaii's economy, but also sustaining and stabilizing Hawaii’s food supply while preserving the green space and lifestyle that Hawaii's citizens and visitors value.

The legislature further finds that agriculture and value-added products in Hawaii contribute $2,400,000,000 to the State’s economy and employ more than thirty-eight thousand people. During the past twenty years, diversified agriculture in Hawaii more than doubled. The prime agricultural lands released from sugar and pineapple production present a rare window of opportunity to further agriculture development. Currently, about one hundred thousand acres of former sugar and pineapple land is lying fallow awaiting economically viable agribusinesses. If all of this land could be put to productive use in successful agricultural ventures, an additional $1,700,000,000 to $4,400,000,000 could be added to the State’s economy.

The legislature further finds that in order for Hawaii’s agriculture to take advantage of this opportunity, it must produce high quality, market-driven products that are able to offset Hawaii’s high costs of land, labor, water and transportation. This requires that agriculture has access to the highest quality and state-of-the-art research and outreach programs.

The legislature further finds that the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (UH-CTAHR) is engaged in several areas of research and outreach that have already contributed to the resurgence of agriculture in Hawaii. Among UH-CTAHR's contributions to the State's agricultural industry are:

(1) Identifying and developing high-value food, plant and fiber products so that Hawaii can stay competitive in a global market;

(2) Research that advances agricultural biotechnology, an industry that has the potential to bring billions of dollars to the State's economy; and

(3) Creating and encouraging the adoption of environmentally sound agricultural practices such as employing plants to clean up sites contaminated by heavy metals using a process called bioremediation.

The legislature further finds that work in all of these areas must be expanded to develop high-value products such as:

(1) New and improved plant varieties that are:

(A) Resistant to disease and environmental stress;

(B) Tolerant to pesticides; and

(C) Which produce high-value chemicals, fragrances, vaccines, or specific nutrients;

(2) Effective and environmentally sound pest, disease, and nutrient management systems; and

(3) Technologies that bioremediate environmental problems.

In addition to the research and development needs of agriculture, the legislature further finds that it must encourage the development of economically viable enterprises on the prime agricultural lands currently available. The National Business Incubator Association reports that eighty-seven per cent of incubator graduates remain in business, while only twenty-five per cent of small businesses remain after five years. There is a critical need for an agribusiness incubator initiative to provide start-up counseling, business plan development, management guidance, marketing assistance, legal and financial referrals, mentors, training workshops, and other assistance critical to the establishment of successful agribusiness enterprises.

The purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds to the University of Hawaii beyond its base budget request to enable UH-CTAHR to conduct these crucial research and outreach activities.

SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $3,000,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2003-2004 and the sum of $3,000,000 or so much thereof as may as may be necessary for fiscal year 2004-2005 as follows:

(1) $1,000,000 for the continued development of high-value agricultural products and a breeding program to provide new agricultural products, assessing local and export markets, developing industry assessments, disease prevention programs and other high priority needs;

(2) $500,000 for the development of the agricultural incubator initiative to create new, economically viable agribusinesses;

(3) $500,000 for agricultural biotechnology research and outreach;

(4) $500,000 for value-added food processing and food safety; and

(5) $500,000 for integrated bioremediation research, instruction and extension program

provided that the sums appropriated shall be added to the base budget request of the University of Hawaii.

The sums appropriated shall be expended by the University of Hawaii for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2003.

INTRODUCED BY:

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