STAND. COM. REP. NO. 832

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 1570

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 1

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred H.B. No. 1570, H.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to provide funding to allow qualified beef cattle, dairy, hog, poultry, and goat farms to apply for and receive, if properly documented, a reimbursement for a percentage of each farm's feed expenses.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture; Hawaii Agriculture Research Center; Brainstorm Marketing, Inc.; K.K. Poultry Farm, Inc.; Petersons' Upland Farm; M & H Kaneshiro Farms; Mikilua Poultry Farm Inc.; Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation; and four individuals.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from Animal Rights Hawaii.

     Your Committee finds that the rising cost of feed for livestock animals and the resulting increase in production costs have negatively impacted Hawaii's local livestock industry.  By reimbursing local livestock farmers for a certain percentage of their feed costs, the local livestock industry will be able to expand, invest in new technology and equipment, and develop new markets and products.  Financial support to Hawaii's livestock industry will serve a public purpose by increasing the competitiveness of Hawaii's livestock industry and lessening Hawaii's dependence on imported food products.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     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. 1570, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1570, 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 Agriculture,

____________________________

CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair