STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1065

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

 

RE:   S.B. No. 593

      S.D. 2

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Agriculture, to which was referred S.B. No. 593, S.D. 2, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AGRICULTURE,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to support the livestock industry by amending the Livestock Revitalization Program by, among other things:

 

     (1)  Expanding the livestock feed subsidy to include feed for milking goats, and sheep, lambs, goats, fish, and crustaceans produced for consumption as food;

 

     (2)  Adding goat milk to the definition of milk; and

 

     (3)  Appropriating funds to the Livestock Revitalization Program for the livestock feed subsidy program and other administrative costs.

 

     The Department of Agriculture; Hawaii Aquaculture and Aquaponics Association; Maili Moa, LLC; Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation; Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Inc.; Ulupono Initiative; and a few concerned individuals testified in support of this measure.  The Hawaii Pork Industry Association offered comments.

 


     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Creating a livestock feed developer subsidy to aid those in the business of cultivating feed crops for sale to qualified producers;

 

     (2)  Providing that both the livestock feed subsidy and the livestock feed developer subsidy funds be distributed on a pro rata basis upon aggregation of total claims by the Department of Agriculture;

 

     (3)  Changing the minimum production requirements to qualify as a qualified producer of poultry, pork, or beef;

 

     (4)  Changing the minimum flock, herd, or sale weight size to qualify for the livestock feed subsidy for birds, cows, sows, or finished beef cattle; and

 

     (5)  Authorizing a portion of the appropriation to be used for the livestock feed developer subsidy.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Agriculture that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 593, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 593, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

JESSICA WOOLEY, Chair