STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3131

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 3310

       H.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Agriculture and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 3310, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for a grant to the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation to conduct agricultural research and development.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Department of Agriculture, Alexander & Baldwin, Inc., the Hawaii Aquaculture Association, the Hawaii Agriculture Research Center, the Hawaii Crop Improvement Association, the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, the Kauai County Farm Bureau, the Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii, the Maui County Farm Bureau, and one private citizen. 

     Your Committee finds that funding for cutting edge research is necessary for Hawaii's agricultural industry to remain competitive in the global market.  Your Committee further finds that legislative funding for the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation in the past three years has generated at least thirty-three projects benefiting both the local industry and the consumer, ranging from tea and organic produce, to food safety and agricultural tourism.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture and Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 3310, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________

JILL TOKUDA, Chair