STAND. COM. REP. NO. 341________

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.B. No. 1668
                                     




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.B.
No. 1668 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR TARO
     RESEARCH,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to appropriate funds for taro
research by the University of Hawaii College of Tropical
Agriculture and Human Resources.

     Your Committee finds that the taro yield and quality
throughout the State is declining due to diseases, particularly
pocket rot and leaf blight, which afflict the leaves and corms of
taro.  Your Committee recognizes the continued multidisciplinary
research being conducted at CTAHR into these diseases for the
survival of the taro industry.  The areas of research include:
testing of fungal organisms found in Hawaii's taro; testing of
cultural practices, including wider spacing, lower nitrogen
application rates and use of disease-free planting materials;
and, testing of resistant taro varieties.

     Testimonies in support of this bill were received from the
Kauai Office of Economic Development, the University of Hawaii
College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, the Hawaii
Agriculture Research Center, the Ornamentals Pacifica, the Hui

 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 341________
                                 Page 2

 
Kalo o Kahana, the Taro Farmers from Molokai, the Kauai Taro
Growers Association, the Hawaii Taro Company, the University of
Hawaii Cooperative Extension Service on Kauai, the Na Moku Aupuni
o Ko'olau Hui, Christine Kobayashi, Harry Ako and Clarence E.
Kaona.

     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 H.B. No.
1668 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred
to the Committee on Finance.


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



                                   ______________________________
                                   FELIPE P. ABINSAY, JR., Chair