STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2032-18

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2018

RE: S.C.R. No. 59

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 59 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE AGRIBUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION TO START A FARM APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to address the limited resources available to the Agribusiness Development Corporation (ADC) in its task to provide assistance to a diverse population of farmers by:

(1) Urging ADC to establish a Farm Apprentice Program (Program) that creates an efficient, effective, and replicable framework or model to manage farming operations through a sublease structure in which a lead farmer is responsible for the actions of the farmer's lessees, that ensures compliance with best practice programs and optimal production, and that develops sublessees to become lead farmers; and

(2) Urging the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources to support the lead and lessee farmers in the Program with extension services that focus on technical and workforce development issues, including outreach and training.

The Department of Agriculture, University of Hawaii at Manoa College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, ADC, and Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i supported this measure.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing its title to read: "URGING THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE TO START A FARM APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM";

(2) Urging the Department of Agriculture, rather than the ADC, to establish and carry out the functions of the Program; and

(3) Requesting that the University of Hawaii at Hilo College of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resource Management, Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center, and ADC support the Program and directing transmittal of copies of this measure to those agencies, and to the Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 59, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 59, H.D. 1.

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

____________________________

RICHARD P. CREAGAN, Chair