MEDIA RELEASE
The public will have a final opportunity in late October and November to provide input into the 2009 County of Hawaii Agricultural Development Plan, being prepared for the Department of Research and Development by Agricon Hawaii LLC and The Kohala Center.
The Kohala Center is conducting islandwide listening sessions prior to finalizing the plan, which is intended to guide the revitalization of agriculture as a basis for the island’s economic development by focusing on measures designed to increase the production of food for local consumption and support the growth of export products.
The preliminary draft of the plan will be available for review by Oct. 10 at kohalacenter.org/agplan.html.
After the fall round of public sessions, The Kohala Center will incorporate public input and present the final draft to the county Department of Research and Development in early December.
In addition to attending a listening session, the public can provide suggestions and comments to Guy Kaulukukui, director of The Kohala Center’s Food Self-Reliance Program, at agplan@kohalacenter.org or 887-6411.
The sessions are 6-8 p.m. at the following dates and locations:
VIDEO: Hawaii Mayor talks about upcoming "painful" budget – Big Island Video News
September 15, 2009 – Hilo, Hawaii Hawaii County Mayor Billy Kenoi took a moment last Friday to talk about the challenges facing the Big Island economy, and how it will impact next year’s county budget.
According to a news release, Kenoi told his county staff on Monday at a meeting to kick off budget preparations that "deep and painful budget cuts will be necessary to carry the county through the next fiscal year". The county says its facing a $44.8 million hole in next fiscal year’s budget, which combines $33.8 million less in projected revenues and $11 million more in projected expenses.
“We’ve never faced what we face today,” said Mayor Kenoi in Monday’s media release. “Which means we’ve got to take steps that we never took before,” to make government more efficient and reduce county spending.
Hawaii law may hurt farmers | The Honolulu Advertiser
Bid process could bring more outside competition
By Sean Hao
Advertiser Staff WriterHawai’i taxpayers will likely be paying more to buy agriculture products under a new state law aimed at supporting local growers.
Act 175 hopes to use government purchasing power to benefit local agriculture. The law, which took effect July 1, requires state agencies to gather competitive bids before buying food and other agricultural products.
It gives up to 15 percent preference to locally grown products in the bidding process. So if a Mainland grower can supply the food for $100, and a local grower bids $114, the local grower gets the contract.
"What this bill allows is for the state to use its purchasing power to procure these local products to really enhance local agriculture by giving them viable market opportunities," said Elizabeth Haws Connally, who lobbied for the change on behalf of the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation.
Ag inspector layoff impacts topic of talk – The Maui News
KAHULUI – The Hawaii State Senate Ad Hoc Committee will hold an informational briefing today on how the layoffs of agricultural inspectors will impact Maui.
Coordinated by Maui Sens. Roz Baker, J. Kalani English and Shan Tsutsui, the meeting will be held from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Maui Waena Intermediate School.
The Maui office of the state Department of Agriculture Plant Quarantine Branch would lose six of 17 positions in layoffs planned for November. Statewide, more than half the department’s agricultural inspectors would be cut.
The head of the Plant Quarantine Branch said last week that the layoffs could mean long delays for imports into the state and could make Hawaii vulnerable to invasive pests.
Similar briefings were held in Kona, Hilo and Honolulu.
County/In Brief – Mauinews.com | News, Sports, Jobs, Visitor’s Information – The Maui News
Hawaii growers urged to clean up exports-The Honolulu Advertiser
By Robbie Dingeman
Advertiser Staff Writer
Hawai’i’s $125 million agricultural export industry could be threatened by hitchhiking insects and other pests found on fresh flower, foliage and fruit shipments arriving in California.
Budget cuts have left California with fewer inspectors and made that state more prone to slap sanctions on importers when pests are discovered. Hawai’i may also lose inspectors if the state lays off workers in November as planned to balance its budget.
Five key agricultural officials sent a warning letter this month to hundreds of Hawai’i growers and shippers who sell flowers, foliage, herbs, vegetables, potted nursery products and fruit, alerting them to the potential risk of not cleaning up their shipments.
"Anyone that currently ships to California can be the ‘last straw’ that triggers the decision by California to impose severe restrictions on the movement of all products from Hawai’i into the California market," the letter states.
Big Island legislators to host info briefing on Kulani Correctional Facility
Media release from www.hawaiisenatemajority.com
The Senate Ad-hoc Committee chaired by Sen. Russell Kokubun is hosting a series of info briefings to address recent proposed changes by the Lingle administration and discuss the potential impact these changes will have on the state.
Gov. Linda Lingle last week announced her plans to layoff approximately 80 percent of Department of Agriculture personnel in an effort to help close a budget deficit.
Many Big Island lawmakers and residents are concerned about the devastating effect this will have on the local agriculture industry.
The announcement followed a news conference Lingle held the week prior during which she announced plans to cut staff and close Kulani Correctional Facility.
In addition to the Big Island meetings, more are scheduled early next week on the island of Oahu.
* Hilo: 5-8 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 13 at Aupuni Center – County Conference Room
* Kona: 5-8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 14, Kealakehe High School Cafeteria
For more information, contact Senator Kokubun’s office at (808) 586-6760.Big Island legislators to host info briefing
Big Island legislators to host info briefing on Kulani Correctional Facility | Hawaii247.org