STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3233

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.R. No. 114

       S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture, to which was referred S.R. No. 114 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING THE WHITMORE PROJECT'S MISSION TO REVITALIZE HAWAII'S LOCAL AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY AND REQUESTING THE AGRIBUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION TO CONTINUE ITS EFFORTS TO ACQUIRE LAND AND PROVIDE LOCAL FARMERS WITH LONG-TERM LEASES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to recognize the Whitmore Project's mission to revitalize Hawaii's local agricultural industry and request the Agribusiness Development Corporation to continue its efforts to acquire land and provide local farmers with long-term leases.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture; Agribusiness Development Corporation; Hawai‘i Farm Bureau; and Larry Jefts Farms, LLC.

     Your Committee finds that in 2012, the State purchased over seventeen hundred acres of agricultural land from the Galbraith Estate through coordinated efforts of the State, City and County of Honolulu, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, United States Army, and D.R. Horton.  The Agribusiness Development Corporation received twelve hundred acres of the agricultural land and dedicated it to the Whitmore Project, which provides long-term lease options on state land; enhanced use leases; decreased cost and time of transportation, due to clustered services; increased scale and diversity of products; co-working opportunities to leverage the high cost of equipment and supplies; conversion of idle and arable land into active land to achieve scale and diversity of products; state and county tax incentives; and partnership opportunities.  Your Committee further finds that it is critical that the State offer local farmers long-term leases and continue to support Hawaii's agricultural community.

     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 Water, Land, and Agriculture that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 114, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means, in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 114, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water, Land, and Agriculture,

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MIKE GABBARD, Chair