Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2184 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for agricultural research and outreach at the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources including the development of an agribusiness incubator initiative.

Your Committee finds that agricultural research and outreach by the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources will promote the growth and improvement of agriculture in the State. Presently, agriculture is a $2,400,000,000 industry in Hawaii and provides more than 38,000 jobs statewide. Farm production increased at an annual rate of 6.1 per cent from 1997 to 2000 and 69 per cent of the 2000 farmgate value of agriculture was from diversified crops as compared to 27 per cent in 1980.

This bill recognizes this unprecedented growth and addresses the needs of the vast majority of farmers who run small entrepreneurial operations and depend on the research and development provided by the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources. The bill also provides an appropriation to develop an agribusiness incubator initiative to assist farmers with business-oriented services related to farming.

Your Committee has amended the bill by changing the appropriation amount to an unspecified amount to promote further discussion on this bill and by making technical changes that have no substantive effect.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2184, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2184, S.D. 1.