STAND. COM. REP. NO.  848

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   H.B. No. 186

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred H.B. No. 186, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO COFFEE BERRY BORER BEETLE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to help protect the coffee industry in Hawaii by extending for an additional two years the sunset date of the pesticide subsidy program for coffee farmers who purchase pesticides containing Beauveria bassiana, a naturally occurring fungus known to cause high rates of mortality in coffee berry borers.

The ILWU Local 142; Hawaii Coffee Company; Kona Coffee Farmers Association; Sugai Products, Inc.; Mauna Mama Kona Coffee; Kona Coffee Farmers Association; Kanalani Ohana Farm; Onila Farms; Absolutely! Kona Coffee; MC Kona Farms; Kona Sunrise Coffee; Kau Coffee Mill, LLC; and numerous concerned individuals supported this measure.  The Department of Agriculture and Mayor of the County of Hawaii provided comments.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Finance that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 186, H.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Finance,

____________________________

SYLVIA LUKE, Chair