HCR357

WHEREAS, sections 3 and 10 of article XI of the Hawaii Constitution mandate the support and promotion of diversified agricultural activities and agricultural self-sufficiency for the state; and

WHEREAS, Act 183, Session Laws of Hawaii 2005, in establishing a process for important agricultural lands, declared that the policy of the State is to:

(1) Conserve and protect agricultural lands;

(2) Promote diversified agriculture;

(3) Increase agricultural self-sufficiency; and

(4) Assure the availability of agriculturally suitable lands;

and

WHEREAS, numerous concurrent efforts are proposing other ways, means, and incentives to promote agriculture in the state; and

WHEREAS, there may be more opportunities for our local agricultural products to compete in the local, national, and international markets if our agricultural products are properly processed, packaged, and assembled; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2007, the Senate concurring, that the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (UH-CTAHR) is requested to study the feasibility of constructing a multipurpose processing facility or facilities for the production of value-added products making use of locally grown agricultural products; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that UH-CTAHR is requested to consider the following in its study:

(1) The feasibility of using a large, multipurpose processing facility or facilities, serving multiple users, and producing different value-added agricultural products;

(2) The type of owner-operator that would be appropriate for the multipurpose facility, that is, public, private, or a combination thereof;

(3) The types of packaged or finished value-added products that may be processed by the processing facility;

(4) The markets, local, national, and international, that may be targeted for products of the processing facility;

(5) The latest emerging technologies that may be used in processing and marketing Hawaii agricultural products; and

(6) Any information that may be provided by the National Council of State Legislatures as to whether other states have experienced a similar phenomenon of the demise of large, plantation-style agricultural industries over a relatively short period of time, leaving much of the plantation lands fallow and the supporting infrastructure unused and decaying;

and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that UH-CTAHR is requested to consult with the Department of Agriculture, Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Department of Land and Natural Resources; Agribusiness Development Corporation; University of Hawaii, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources; Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation; Hawaii Agricultural Research Center; Hawaii Food Manufacturers Association; National Council of State Legislatures; and other stakeholders in the agricultural industry; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that UH-CTAHR is requested to report its findings and recommendations, including proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than 45 days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2009; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Director of Land and Natural Resources; Executive Director of the Agribusiness Development Corporation; Dean of the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources; and the Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture who, in turn, is requested to transmit copies to the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, Hawaii Agricultural Research Center, Hawaii Food Manufacturers Association, National Council of State Legislatures, and other appropriate stakeholders in the agricultural industry.

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:

Agricultural Processing Facility; Study

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.C.R. NO.	357
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008
STATE OF HAWAII