STAND. COM. REP. NO. 118

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.B. No. 334
                                     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.B.
No. 334 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR AGRICULTURAL
     RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to strengthen and ensure the
continued viability of the State's agriculture industry by
appropriating funds to assist in maintaining current minimum
levels of agricultural research and development at the Hawaii
Agriculture Research Center (HARC).

     Testimony in support of the measure was received from HARC,
the Dean of the University of Hawaii College of Tropical
Agriculture and Human Resources, the Hawaii Farm Bureau, the
Chair of Central Maui Soil and Water Conservation District,
Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Company, Aloha Farms, Inc., Kauai
Coffee Company, Gay & Robinson, Inc., and the Pineapple Growers
Association of Hawaii.  The Department of Agriculture indicated
its support for the bill so long as the bill's passage does not
replace or adversely affect the priorities in its Executive
Biennium Budget.

     Your Committee finds that HARC has been at the forefront of
agricultural research and development by creating new products
for Hawaii's sustainable agricultural commodities.  These
products include modified plants with disease and pest resistance
(papaya ring spot disease resistance), improved physical

 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 118
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characteristics for harvesting methods (coffee for mechanized
harvesting), improved quality characteristics (sweeter
pineapples), and plants with higher yields (more sugar per acre).
It is your Committee's belief that continued funding for HARC
activities will result in providing essential research services
for the State's agriculture industry.

     Upon consideration, your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Deleting the appropriation for fiscal year 2000-2001;
          and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for
          purposes of clarity and style.

     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.
334, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second
Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 334, H.D. 1, 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