Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture, to which was referred Governor's Message No. 280, submitting for study and consideration the nomination of:

begs leave to report as follows:

Upon review of the background information submitted by the nominee, your Committee finds that Eric D. Weinert earned a degree in Business Administration, with a major in accounting, from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and passed the Certified Public Accounting examination. In 1979, he began a grafted fruit tree nursery business on the island of Hawaii, which has since become the largest fruit tree nursery in the State. Mr. Weinert began an exotic fruit orchard business five years later, marketing the fruit nationally and internationally to retail and wholesale customers. Maintaining his focus on tropical fruit farming in Hawaii, Mr. Weinert helped found the statewide association of Hawaii Tropical Fruit Growers and the Hawaii Tropical Fruit Cooperative for commercial farmers, and was active in the establishment of Hawaii Pride, LLC., the first all-electric irradiator in the world that is dedicated to fruit fly and insect disinfestation.

Testimony in support of the nominee was submitted to your Committee by the Agribusiness Development Corporation (ADC), the Hawaii Agriculture Research Center, and the Hawaii Farm Bureau.

Your Committee members diligently questioned the nominee regarding his administrative qualifications, his vision and priorities for the ADC, and related policy issues presently before the Legislature. Your Committee finds that Mr. Weinert would be the first tropical fruit farmer to join the ADC Board. In addition, your Committee questioned Mr. Weinert about the potential of building an irradiation disinfestation facility on Oahu and about how to garner consumer acceptance of the use of such a facility on local produce. Mr. Weinert responded that he supported the idea of building a technologically advanced disinfestation facility near the Honolulu International Airport, particularly as he has helped run a state-of-the-art facility on the island of Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that Mr. Weinert, already a success in agribusiness, has an understanding of the interconnectedness of Hawaii's evolving agribusiness industry, is an adept problem solver, and brings the vision and skill necessary to implement cutting-edge technology in the production, processing, and marketing of local agricultural products. He has been, and continues to be, active in Hawaii's agricultural sector, and has worked extensively with state and federal agencies to develop agricultural markets and exportation protocols for the United States mainland and foreign nations.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture that is attached to this report, your Committee, after full consideration of the background, character, experience, and qualifications of the nominee, has found the nominee to be qualified for the position to which nominated and recommends that the Senate advise and consent to the nomination.