STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1303

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 1221

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 1221, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to support the longevity of a diversified agricultural industry in Hawaii by creating a livestock revitalization and food security program.

     Specifically, this measure:

     (1)  Creates a livestock revitalization program to administer and disburse funds to qualified dairy, hog, poultry, and egg producers for up to fifty per cent of their feed costs; and

     (2)  Appropriates an unspecified amount in each year of the fiscal biennium, for the Department of Agriculture to disburse funds to qualified producers of milk, pork, poultry, or eggs for the costs of feed, and for the administrative costs of the revitalization program.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Department of Agriculture; the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaii; the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation; Nobriga's Ranch, Inc.; Ulehawa Farm, Inc.; the Hawaii Egg Producers Association; the Hawaii Teamsters and Allied Workers Local 996; and three individuals.  Testimony in opposition to this measure was submitted by Animal Rights Hawai‘i.

     Your Committee finds that one of the challenges livestock farms face is the rising cost of feed for livestock.  The decrease in operational local dairy, hog, poultry, and egg farms increases the State's reliance on the importation of food and threatens the State's food security.  Thus, creating a livestock revitalization and food security program will financially assist farmers with covering the cost of their feed requirements, enable them to remain in business, and continue to provide fresh milk, pork, poultry, and eggs for local consumption.

     Your Committee recognizes that the livestock industry also includes cattle for beef.  Cattle ranchers emphasized to your Committee that they are also threatened with closure due to rising costs for feed, and expressed interest in being included in a livestock revitalization program.

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by deleting the contents of this measure and inserting the language from S.B. No. 1307, S.D. 3, which also creates a livestock revitalization program to administer and disburse funds to qualified producers for up to fifty per cent of their feed costs, and appropriates an unspecified amount for the Department of Agriculture to disburse funds to qualified producers for the costs of feed, and for the administrative costs of the revitalization program, but expands the scope of the revitalization program to include cattle ranchers as qualified producers.

     Your Committee believes that this measure, as amended, fulfills the intent of this measure, which is to support the longevity of a diversified agricultural industry in Hawaii.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1221, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1221, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

RUSSELL S. KOKUBUN, Chair