Tag: linda lingle

August 30, 2009 General Ag News and Notes Post a Comment

Inspector layoffs may mean near ‘shutdown’ of imports – The Maui News

maui-news-ad

Positions targeted to balance state budget

By ILIMA LOOMIS, Staff Writer

POSTED: August 30, 2009

PUKALANI – Plant quarantine officials said last week that laying off more than half the state’s agricultural inspectors would create such a logjam at Hawaii ports that it could cause shortages similar to those seen during shipping strikes.

Carol Okada, manager of the Hawaii Department of Agriculture’s Plant Quarantine Branch, said she has not been able to develop a plan for how her department will continue its core functions after it loses 52 employees, 50 of them inspectors, to layoffs planned for November.

She said food shipments to Maui and the other Neighbor Islands, which because of staff shortages would now have to be routed through Honolulu for inspection, would have to sit on the docks until the state’s remaining inspectors could look at them, with the risk that some food could spoil in the unchilled containers.

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August 13, 2009 General Ag News and Notes Post a Comment

Big Island legislators to host info briefing on Kulani Correctional Facility

Kulani Prison
Kulani Prison

 

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

August 9, 2009 General Ag News and Notes Post a Comment

Layoffs could leave island vulnerable to alien species – Mauinews.com

 

maui-news-adShould the layoffs go forward in November as planned by Gov. Linda Lingle, not all Maui-based inspectors will disappear, according to Carol Okada, manager of the Plant Quarantine Bureau in the state Department of Agriculture.

There are inspectors in 10 positions covered by special funds who will not be affected, including six funded by the state Department of Transportation. But the six positions paid out of the state’s general fund are on the budget-cutting hit list.

Anna Mae Shishido, Maui County supervisor of the Maui Plant Quarantine Branch, wrote a letter expressing her concern about the impact of the layoffs to two Maui lawmakers – state Sen. J. Kalani English and Rep. Joe Souki.

She said the Transportation Department’s special fund specifies that the six inspectors it pays for would work at the Kahului Airport – which means they wouldn’t do maritime inspections.

As a result, Matson and other containers carrying produce, animal feed and other agricultural material would need to go to Honolulu first for inspection, Shishido said. Diverting that cargo to Oahu would mean extra handling of Maui-bound containers, adding delays and costs for consumers.

The layoffs would also mean that more than two dozen certified nurseries on Maui would no longer be able to self-certify their plant shipments to other states because state inspectors would not be available to conduct semi-annual nursery re-certification inspections, she said.

Shishido said she was alarmed about the potential for infestations of alien species without maritime inspections on Maui.

"We anticipate increased infestations of stinging nettle caterpillars and coqui frogs on Maui and new infestations of little fire ants and the varroa mite, which have not been found here so far," she said. "The safeguards we have worked so hard to put in place will be drastically decreased or completely gone. Maui will be exposed."

Layoffs could leave island vulnerable to alien species – Mauinews.com | News, Sports, Jobs, Visitor’s Information – The Maui News

August 6, 2009 General Ag News and Notes Post a Comment

Law aims to help Hawaii use its own produce | The Packer

 

Courtesy Hawaii House Blog Specialty tomatoes from Hamakua Springs County Farm, Big Island.
Courtesy Hawaii House Blog Specialty tomatoes from Hamakua Springs County Farm, Big Island.
A new pilot program in Hawaii should help another 100 or so of the state’s local growers get their food into local hotels.

House Bill No. 1471 was passed into law late July and established the Food Certification Pilot program, which will be managed by the Hawaii Department of Agriculture, with assistance from the Hawaii Department of Health.

The program is designed to coordinate purchasing agreements between agricultural cooperatives and hotels, restaurants and other buyers in the visitor and hospitality industries, according to the bill. The pilot program should help with that by developing and implementing safe food certification for locally grown produce.

Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle vetoed the bill originally, saying the program “appears to be a gesture to improve food safety without the teeth necessary to make it a viable program,” according to West Hawaii Today.

The Hawaii Tourism Authority Special Fund will allocate $140,000 to establish the program. The idea is that if safe, local food is offered to local hotels and eating establishments, it could help Hawaii tourism.

Lingle argued there was no real connection to tourism. Her veto was overridden by the Legislature late July.

According to the West Hawaii Today article, only 32 of the state’s 2,000 farms are food safety certified by third-party audit. Supporters of the pilot program from the hotel and restaurant industry in Hawaii said food safety was a major concern for them, and that if good agricultural practices were followed and assured to buyers, it could make a big difference.

Law aims to help Hawaii use its own produce | The Packer

July 1, 2008 General Ag News and Notes

GOVERNOR LINGLE RELEASES $250,000 TO HAWAI`I FARM BUREAU FEDERATION

For Immediate Release: July 1, 2008

HONOLULU – Governor Linda Lingle has released a $250,000 grant-in-aid to the Hawai‘i Farm Bureau Federation (HFBF) to be used for agricultural research and market development.

HFBF is a non-profit organization made up of farming families who are committed to analyzing problems and formulating action plans to ensure the healthy future of agriculture in our state.

“The research facilitated by this grant will promote the growth of Hawai‘i’s agricultural industry and contribute to the overall strength of our state economy,” said Governor Lingle.

Past HFBF research has included studies on the development of disease-resistant crops and potential niche crops like blueberries, and were performed in partnership with academic and research centers in Hawai‘i.

HFBF also co-sponsored the Hawai‘i Agricultural Theft Study with the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture in 2005.

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For more information, contact:

Sandra Lee Kunimoto
Chair, Board of Agriculture
Phone: (808) 973-9550

Lenny Klompus
Senior Advisor – Communications
Phone: (808) 586-7708

Russell Pang
Chief of Media Relations
Phone: (808) 586-0043
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July 1, 2008 General Ag News and Notes

GOVERNOR LINGLE RELEASES $250,000 TO HAWAI`I FARM BUREAU FEDERATION

For Immediate Release: July 1, 2008

HONOLULU – Governor Linda Lingle has released a $250,000 grant-in-aid to the Hawai‘i Farm Bureau Federation (HFBF) to be used for agricultural research and market development.

HFBF is a non-profit organization made up of farming families who are committed to analyzing problems and formulating action plans to ensure the healthy future of agriculture in our state.

“The research facilitated by this grant will promote the growth of Hawai‘i’s agricultural industry and contribute to the overall strength of our state economy,” said Governor Lingle.

Past HFBF research has included studies on the development of disease-resistant crops and potential niche crops like blueberries, and were performed in partnership with academic and research centers in Hawai‘i.

HFBF also co-sponsored the Hawai‘i Agricultural Theft Study with the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture in 2005.

####

For more information, contact:

Sandra Lee Kunimoto
Chair, Board of Agriculture
Phone: (808) 973-9550

Lenny Klompus
Senior Advisor – Communications
Phone: (808) 586-7708

Russell Pang
Chief of Media Relations
Phone: (808) 586-0043
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February 25, 2008 General Ag News and Notes

State auditor: Molokai water system mismanaged

By CHRIS HAMILTON, Staff Writer
Maui News

WAILUKU ? The state auditor issued a blistering report last week charging the state Department of Agriculture with mismanaging the Molokai Irrigation System while simultaneously allowing it to deteriorate over a period of decades.

The irrigation system is crucial to the island?s agriculture-based economy but draws only about 4 million gallons a day ? less than 10 percent of its projected capacity when it was first planned.

?We found that while the Department of Agriculture inherited a broken system, little has been done to learn about system problems or to create a plan to address them,? state Auditor Marion Higa wrote in her 57-page report. ?The department?s flawed management endangers agriculture in Molokai.?

However, state Agriculture Chairwoman Sandra Kunimoto called most of the report?s criticisms ?overreaching? in a telephone interview Friday.

She said she felt as though the report?s dramatic statements weren?t backed up by the actual details contained within it.

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