THE SENATE

S.C.R. NO.

234

TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

REQUESTING hAWAII'S CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION TO INTRODUCE AND SUPPORT FEDERAL LEGISLATION TO IMPROVE THE VIABILITY OF HAWAII'S GEOGRAPHICALLY DISADVANTAGED FARMERS AND RANCHERS.

 

 


     WHEREAS, in Hawaii, there is an exceptional dependence on sea and air transportation as a means of distributing agricultural products to destination markets; and

 

     WHEREAS, there is inadequate port, harbor, and airport infrastructure for Hawaii's farmers and ranchers to compete in local, domestic, and international markets and to meet food safety guidelines; and

 

     WHEREAS, Hawaii suffers from unfavorable maritime freight rates compared to more active trade lanes, especially for westbound cargo in Pacific trade lanes, making it difficult to supply Asian markets and to acquire imports from United States mainland sources; and

 

     WHEREAS, the United States Department of Agriculture submitted a report to Congress in November 2003 entitled, Report on Geographically Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers, ("Report") which examined the transportation disadvantages experienced by farmers and ranchers in noncontiguous states of the United States ("noncontiguous states") and United States territories ("territories") as they relate to the movement of farm products; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Report recognized that agricultural shippers in the noncontiguous states and territories do not have access to adequate transportation infrastructure and equipment necessary to be competitive; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Report also recognized that the strong reliance on imports from the United States mainland drives up input costs in the noncontiguous states and territories, and leaves them vulnerable to transportation disruptions; and

 

     WHEREAS, as a result of the geographical disadvantage faced by Hawaii's farmers and ranchers, Hawaii has only two dairies and four egg farms left in the State and has lost numerous other agricultural producers; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2008, the House of Representatives concurring, that Hawaii's congressional delegation is requested to introduce and support federal legislation that will:

 

     (1)  Improve the competitiveness of Hawaii's farmers and ranchers with regard to transportation in the domestic and international marketplace with the long-term goal of seeking parity between Hawaii's farmers and ranchers and their mainland counterparts;

 

     (2)  Address transportation barriers, including inadequate port, harbor, and airport infrastructure, that inhibit the ability of neighbor island farmers and ranchers to transport to Oahu markets, and on a statewide level of farmers and ranchers to transport to foreign and domestic markets; and

 

     (3)  Address the costs to transport an agricultural commodity, or inputs used to produce an agricultural commodity in a geographically disadvantaged state such as Hawaii; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the State Department of Agriculture is requested to work with its federal counterparts to effectuate the purposes of this Concurrent Resolution; and

 


     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to members of Hawaii's congressional delegation, the Secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture, and the Chairperson of the State Board of Agriculture.

 

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

 

 

Report Title: 

Geographically Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers