STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1633

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.C.R. No. 68
                                     H.D. 1




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred H.C.R.
No. 68 entitled: 

     "HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE SUPPORT FOR HOME
     ORGANIC PRODUCE COOPERATIVES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this concurrent resolution is to urge the
Department of Agriculture (DOA) with assistance from the
Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism
(DBEDT), and the Extension Service of the University of Hawaii to
develop a coordinated plan to provide assistance and support to
citizen gardeners who may be interested in forming community-
based home organic produce cooperatives.

     The Department of Agriculture (DOA) and the University of
Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture & Human Resources (CTAHR)
testified in support of the intent of this measure.

     Your Committee finds that citizens of the State who grow
fruits and vegetables in gardens at their residence for their own
consumption often have a surplus of their produce and that these
surpluses could be sold in the local market if a cooperatives
could be formed to educate, advise and assist home gardeners on
how to grow and market their surplus produce to the general
public.

     Your Committee has amended this resolution to add definition
of "organic" and "organic produce" in accordance with the United

 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1633
                                 Page 2

 
States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Organic Program
Federal Regulation when it is adopted so that produce grown
conform with industry standards, particularly if they are going
to be marketed as such.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Agriculture that is attached to this report, your
Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 68,
as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the
Committee on Finance, in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No.
68, H.D. 1.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   FELIPE P. ABINSAY, JR., Chair