STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2540

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2790

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Agriculture and Environment, to which was referred S.B. No. 2790 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATED TO AGRICULTURE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Require the Department of Agriculture to conduct a study on agricultural markets for Hawaii farmers;

(2) Appropriate an unspecified amount of funds for the establishment of:

(A) One full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) data scientist, statistician, or market analyst position to conduct data analysis; and

(B) One full-time equivalent (1.0 FTE) field researcher position to collect relevant agricultural data for the agricultural statistics services to build an agricultural data dashboard for public consumption; and

(3) Appropriate $200,000 for the one-year study on agricultural markets for Hawaii farmers.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Agriculture; Hawaiʻi Farm Bureau; Hawaii Food+ Policy; Hawaii Cattlemen's Council; and one individual.

Your Committee finds that the efficacy of decision-making, statewide planning, and sustainable growth of the agricultural industry is highly dependent on the availability of timely, specific, reliable, accurate, and useful statistics. This measure provides much needed resources to strengthen and upgrade the collection, analysis, and dissemination of critical agricultural data to help the State's farmers and ranchers survive and thrive.

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 is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2790 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

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MIKE GABBARD, Chair