Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2001

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 366 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to appropriate funds to the Department of Agriculture (DOA) to be matched by private sources on a one-to-one basis for macadamia nut research to be conducted in conjunction with the macadamia nut industry.

Testimony in support of this bill was received from the Hawaii Agriculture Research Center and Hawaii Macadamia Nut Association. DOA and the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources testified in support of the intent of this bill.

Your Committee fully recognizes the value of the macadamia nut as one of Hawaii's leading crops, as well as its successful role in the State's efforts to diversify agriculture. Therefore, combined efforts between the private and public sectors to support research would ensure the continuing viability of this crop, and would prove your Committee's commitment to the future of Hawaii's macadamia nut industry.

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. 366 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Finance.