STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1444-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

RE:   H.C.R. No. 357

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Economic Development & Business Concerns and Agriculture, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 357 entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII COLLEGE OF TROPICAL AGRICULTURE AND HUMAN RESOURCES TO STUDY THE FEASIBILITY OF CONSTRUCTING A MULTIPURPOSE, MULTI-USER AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS PROCESSING FACILITY OR FACILITIES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this concurrent resolution is to help Hawaii's farmers compete in the global economy by directing the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (UH-CTAHR) to report to the Legislature on the feasibility of constructing multipurpose agricultural processing facilities to produce value-added agricultural products.

     The Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation and the Dean of UH-CTAHR testified in support of this measure.

     Hawaii currently lacks the facilities to process raw agricultural crops into value-added products, forcing farmers to send their products to the mainland for processing, or discouraging farmers from venturing into the value-added market.  Your Committees believe that a processing facility located in Hawaii would have the potential to substantially increase the contribution of diversified agriculture to our State's economy, and merits further study and development.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Economic Development & Business Concerns and Agriculture that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 357 and recommend that it be referred to the Committee on Higher Education.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Economic Development & Business Concerns and Agriculture,

____________________________ CLIFT TSUJI, Chair

____________________________ KYLE T. YAMASHITA, Chair