STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1067

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 71

       S.D. 1

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Agriculture and Economic Development and Technology, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 71 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE CONVENING OF A WORKING GROUP TO REVIEW THE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE AGRIBUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE THE CORPORATION'S EFFICIENCY AND PROGRAMS TO BETTER ADDRESS CURRENT AND FUTURE AGRICULTURAL ISSUES,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Department of Agriculture to convene a working group to review the duties and responsibilities of the Agribusiness Development Corporation and make recommendations to improve the Corporation's efficiency and programs to better address current and future agricultural issues.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture, Agribusiness Development Corporation, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa, and Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation.  Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Legislative Reference Bureau.

     Your Committees find that the Agribusiness Development Corporation was established to facilitate the transition of Hawaii's agriculture industry from sugar and pineapple plantations to a diversity of crops.  While the Agribusiness Development Corporation has played an important role in helping Hawaii's agriculture industry evolve and grow, there is a need to review and assess the performance of the Corporation and assess whether it is meeting the present and future needs of Hawaii's agricultural industry.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Adding to the working group a member who has experience in development and management of water irrigation systems;

     (2)  Adding to the working group a member who has experience in agricultural land planning, development, and management;

     (3)  Requesting that the working group submit any proposals for draft legislation to the Legislative Reference Bureau no later than November 1, 2011; and

     (4)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Agriculture and Economic Development and Technology that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 71, as amended herein, and recommend its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 71, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Agriculture and Economic Development and Technology,

____________________________ CAROL FUKUNAGA, Chair

____________________________ CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair