Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred S.B. No. 2121 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for papaya research.

Testimony in support of this measure was received from the Department of Agriculture, Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, Kahuku Brand Matsuda Fukuyama Farms, and two individuals.

Your Committee finds that Hawaii's agriculture industry, particularly the papaya industry, requires investments in research to sustain and improve crops. Papayas have been negatively impacted by various diseases and a shrinking market. Recent papaya research has created various lines of papayas that are more resistant to disease and exhibit very desirable flavors and characteristics. This measure provides the funds necessary to complete the papaya research on these desirable papaya lines and make papaya more readily available for commercial use.

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 S.B. No. 2121 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.