STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3568

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.C.R. No. 169

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture and Environment, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 169 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A PROCESS TO CERTIFY PRIVATELY-OWNED AND OPERATED PLANT QUARANTINE FACILITIES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Department of Agriculture to develop and implement a process to certify privately-owned and operated plant quarantine facilities.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture and Hawaii Coffee Association.

Your Committee finds that coffee leaf rust is a devastating fungal pathogen that poses a significant danger to Hawaii's coffee industry. While replacing existing coffee plants with rust-resistant varieties imported from overseas is a promising long-term solution to the threat posed by coffee leaf rust, the lack of adequate plant quarantine capacity limits its viability. This measure requests the Department of Agriculture to develop and implement a process to certify privately-owned and operated plant quarantine facilities, which will significantly expand the State's capacity to import rust-resistant coffee plants.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture and Environment that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 169 and recommends its adoption.

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

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MIKE GABBARD, Chair