Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 198 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this concurrent resolution is to request the Governor to appoint an Agricultural Self-Sufficiency Task Force (Task Force) to reduce the State's dependency on imported agricultural products that could be produced locally.

Hawaii's Thousand Friends supported this measure. The Department of Agriculture, University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, and Agribusiness Development Corporation supported the intent of this measure.

Your Committee believes that this Task Force represents an important first step in reducing Hawaii's dependency on imported agricultural products and in supporting locally-based agricultural businesses. Your Committee notes, however, that concerns were raised regarding the availability of funding to finance the activities of the Task Force. Your Committee also notes that the Department of Taxation and the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, though not specifically named in the text of this measure as being members of the Task Force, retain considerable expertise in the financial and economic aspects of the agriculture industry in Hawaii. The inclusion of these Departments in the membership of the Task Force will provide the Task Force with a valuable source of knowledge and expertise as it carries out its duties.

Your Committee has amended this measure by including the Hawaii Food Industry Association in the list of entities from which the Governor is requested to choose the Task Force members. Other technical, nonsubstantive amendments were made for purposes of style and clarity.

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. 198, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 198, H.D. 1.