STAND

STAND. COM. REP. NO. 191

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2005

RE: H.B. No. 1360

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 1360 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE WAIALUA AGRIBUSINESS INCUBATOR,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to support the development of new and enhanced agricultural products and manufacturing methods by:

(1) Authorizing the issuance of $13,250,000 in general obligation (GO) bonds for the design, planning, and construction of an agribusiness incubator, to be developed and managed by the University of Hawaii (UH), in the Waialua district of Oahu; and

(2) Requiring UH to negotiate a memorandum of understanding with Dole Food Company, Inc., (Dole) to provide for:

(A) The conveyance, in fee simple and for nominal consideration, of up to three acres of agricultural-zoned land in Waialua, formerly used by Dole, to be used for the agribusiness incubator; and

(B) The lease of other lands within Waialua to support the agribusiness incubator, upon appropriation of funds by the Legislature for the agribusiness incubator.

The Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation and Castle & Cooke Hawaii supported this bill. The Department of Agriculture and a concerned individual supported the intent of this bill.

Your Committee finds that the large area of rich agricultural land in Waialua, which contains a wide array of micro-climates and alternative water sources, is an ideal location for an agribusiness incubator. The incubator has the potential to nurture new business ventures, especially in the area of diversified agriculture.

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. 1360 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Higher Education.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Agriculture,

		____________________________ FELIPE P. ABINSAY, JR., Chair