STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3464

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 2181

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Agriculture and Environment, to which was referred H.B. No. 2181, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Appropriate funds to the Department of Agriculture to establish a pilot program to identify and purchase foreign agricultural technology, including small equipment tractors and retrofit engines, that will benefit the State's farmers and ranchers and comply with the Environmental Protection Agency's emission standards; and

 

     (2)  Require the Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture to submit a report to the Legislature on the pilot program's progress and any findings, recommendations, or proposed legislation.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii; Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Inc.; Maui County Farm Bureau; Ulupono Initiative; Hawaii Farm Bureau; Maui Chamber of Commerce; Ponoholo Ranch; Kahuku Farms, Inc.; Waihale Products; M Nakamura Nursery LLC; KHK Ranch LLC; Main Family Farm; Kahuku Farmers Inc; Aikane Plantation; Bayer Crop Science Hawaii; and fourteen individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Agriculture.

 

     Your Committee finds that since the average farmer in Hawaii is a small farmer with limited land, it is critical for local growers to identify small farming equipment and other technologies suitable for Hawaii's diverse agriculture systems.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Replacing the Department of Agriculture with the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, in collaboration with a University of Hawaii system community college, to carry out the foreign agriculture small equipment pilot program;

 

     (2)  Inserting an appropriation amount of $100,000;

 

     (3)  Adding initiatives that will direct the foreign agriculture small equipment pilot program's objectives, as suggested by the Hawaii Farm Bureau;

 

     (4)  Requiring the Dean of the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources to submit a report to the Legislature on the foreign agriculture small equipment pilot program's progress and any findings, recommendations, or proposed legislation;

 

     (5)  Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2020;

 

     (6)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture and Environment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2181, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2181, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

 


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

 

 

 

________________________________

MIKE GABBARD, Chair