INOUYE ANNOUNCES $8.9 MILLION FOR HAWAII AGRICULTURE
INITIATIVESThursday, June 17, 1999
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- United States Senator Daniel K. Inouye announced
that the Senate Committee on Appropriations approved $8.9 million for
important Hawaii agriculture initiatives, including $400,000 for the U.S.
Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
(APHIS) and the Hawaii Department of Agriculture to develop an effective
detection and control program to prevent the inadvertent introduction of
brown tree snakes (BTS) into Hawaii and other parts of the United States.
This funding will complement existing annual funding of more than $3
million supported by Senator Inouye in the budgets of the Defense and
Interior Departments.
"Native to Indonesia, the Solomon Islands, New Guinea, and Australia,
the brown tree snake was accidentally introduced on the Island of Guam
about 50 years ago. The brown tree snake on Guam causes enormous economic,
biological, and cultural damage including: the extinction of 9 of 11
native forest bird species; attacks on commercial poultry operations and
on domesticated animals; electrical power outages approximately every four
days; and serious medical problems from BTS bites particularly in infants.
At least six live brown tree snakes have been captured in Hawaii. The
introduction of the brown tree snake to Hawaii will no doubt wreak havoc
on our state's fragile forest ecosystem. I am pleased that the Committee
approved funding to support an aggressive detection and control program,"
stated Senator Inouye.
The Committee also approved another $300,000 for APHIS to establish and
operate a Wildlife Services (WS) State Office in Hawaii. A similar amount
was approved by the Congress in Fiscal Year 1999.
"Given the devastating impact on agriculture and the natural
environment to the region by alien animal pests, I am pleased that the
Committee continues to support increased on-site coordination of alien
animal prevention and control activities in Hawaii and the U.S.-affiliated
Pacific islands. Having a WS State Office for Hawaii and the Pacific
region would provide direct involvement in the prevention of brown tree
snake introduction, protection of the region's unprecedented level of
endangered species, as well as the protection of public health and safety
of our island community," said Senator Inouye.
In addition, the Committee approved another $200,000 for a plant
materials center to help Native Hawaiians develop native plant nurseries,
and help with the revegetation effort on Kahoolawe. These initiatives are
included in the Fiscal Year 2000 Department of Agriculture, Rural
Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies
Appropriations Bill.
Inouye's initiatives include:
| PROGRAM CONTINUATIONS |
| Tropical and Subtropical Research |
$2,724,000 |
|
| This program is the main research effort in developing
and promoting tropical and subtropical agriculture, and is a
partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and American
universities in the tropics including: Hawaii, Guam, Florida, Puerto
Rico and the Virgin Islands. |
| Tropical Aquaculture Research |
$1,583,800 |
| With increasing emphasis on the health benefits of
seafood, there are significant economic benefits that will accrue
with the expansion of U.S. aquaculture. Hawaii offers a unique (and
relatively isolated) year-round natural laboratory in which to
develop and test nutrition and pest management strategies that will
further the growth of the Hawaii and U.S. aquaculture industry. No
other place in the country has the natural environment and the
professional expertise needed to support the development of
aquaculture in the tropical and subtropical United States. This work
is conducted at the Oceanic Institute at Makapuu, with planned
expansions of hatcheries and training facilities on Molokai and the
Big Island. |
| Sugarcane and Diversified Crop Research |
$936,000 |
| Though many of Hawaii's sugar plantations have ceased
operations, there is a need to maintain the competitive position of
the three remaining plantations and to assist in the transition of
dislocated workers interested in diversified agricultural
alternatives. In view of these challenges, the Hawaii Agriculture
Research Center (HARC), formerly the Hawaiian Sugar Planters
Association, has appropriately redirected some of its resources to
activities which support the diversification of Hawaii agriculture
while maintaining its commitment to the remaining sugarcane
production enterprises. At the direction of Senator Inouye, the
Congress continues to annually assist in the operations of HARC's
Aiea Experiment Station. |
| Agricultural Development in the American Pacific |
$564,000 |
| This is annual funding obtained by Senator Inouye for
sustainable agricultural development in the American Pacific region.
This project is the primary means for the research, extension and
instruction programs of the land-grant institutions within the
American-affiliated Pacific to collaborate on agricultural and human
resource development of island communities in the region while
maintaining cultural, social, economic, and environmental
integrity. |
| Pineapple Research |
$293,000 |
| This is the sixth year of funding to help the Hawaii
pineapple industry develop pest resistant pineapple varieties. The
nematode and wilt resistance in pineapple project has a unique blend
of industry participation and a rigorous review process established
by the University of Hawaii, HARC, and the USDA. Considerable
progress has been made on establishing tissue culture processes that
have minimal variability and on identifying nematode resistant
genes. Field testing of new pineapple varieties will begin in early
2000. This type of cutting edge work provides excellent
opportunities to greatly reduce pesticide use in production
agriculture. |
| Papaya Research |
$293,000 |
| This is the sixth year of funding to develop and
implement a program to combat the papaya ringspot virus plaguing the
papaya industry on the Big Island. Again, the University of Hawaii,
HARC, and the USDA, working with Hawaii papaya growers, have
developed two genetically resistant papaya varieties. Seeds for
these new varieties are now being distributed to farmers and
produced successfully. |
| Minor Crop Pest Control |
$278,000 |
| Senator Inouye seeks this support annually to develop
and implement cost effective and environmentally safe methods to
control insects, weeds and other pests prominent in small scale
farms in Hawaii. Without these low cost, environmentally safe
disease and insect control strategies, Hawaii's agriculture will not
be competitive in global markets. |
| Floriculture Research |
$250,000 |
| This is funding that Senator Inouye has obtained for
the last several years to help Hawaii's nursery farmers develop
disease resistant and new varieties of flowers. University of Hawaii
researchers, working closely with Hawaii flower growers, have made
significant progress on continued development of new flower
varieties that enable global competitiveness. These new and
beautiful varieties help to reduce cost by often being disease and
insect resistant, thereby reducing production cost. |
| Molokai Agricultural Development and Conservation |
$250,000 |
| For the past seven years, Senator Inouye has assisted
Hawaiian Homestead farmers on Molokai, through the Molokai
Agriculture Community Committee (MACC), to expand diversified
agriculture and ranching opportunities through joint planning with
the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation
Service. The MACC has encouraged community-based and directed
agricultural projects with federal matching funds provided on a
competitive basis. To date, more than 80 family farms have
benefitted from this program. Recently, the program is progressing
from individual projects to a community project for the
establishment of a slaughter and processing plant. |
| Non-toxic Fruit Fly Control |
$278,200 |
| This is annual funding obtained by Senator Inouye to
develop effective nontoxic methods to control tephritid fruit flies.
Tephritid fruit flies are one of the most damaging agricultural
pests, infesting more than 200 varieties of fruit. Development of
nontoxic fruit fly management tools having minimal impact on the
natural environment is important to those areas of the country where
these pests are not established. In Hawaii, where alien pests have
become established, export of untreated fruits to mainland and
overseas markets are restricted and, in many instances, these pests
are so damaging that they preclude production even for local
consumption. The Agricultural Research Service and the University of
Hawaii have collaborated on the development and evaluation of
currently acceptable or novel non-toxic fruit fly control
strategies. |
| Animal Damage Control |
$240,000 |
| This is annual funding obtained by Senator Inouye for
the Hawaii Agriculture Research Center to assist with rodent control
in sugarcane and macadamia nut crops. Rodents in sugarcane and
macadamia orchards continue to impede production and constantly
raise public health concerns. |
| Subterranean Termite Research |
$141,500 |
| Senator Inouye's efforts have provided annual funding
to University of Hawaii scientists to develop and implement
alternative methods to control and prevent termite damage to homes
and other structures. Subterranean termites cause the greatest
economic damage to homes and other structures in Hawaii compared to
any other pest. With increasing environmental concerns, especially
ozone depletion due to fumigation control methods, as well as
concerns for public health and safety, there is a continuing need to
develop safe methods to control this devastating pest. This project
has developed effective termite barriers used in construction, as
well as promising naturally occurring control methods. |
| Agricultural Diversification and Specialty Crops |
$131,000 |
| Diversification of agriculture through
commercialization of specialty crops has gained added importance in
Hawaii agriculture's global competitive strategy. The downsizing of
sugarcane has resulted in an unprecedented release of resources that
makes diversification possible. This continuing project focuses on
high value niche markets for relatively unknown agricultural
products, and production and marketing systems, including
medicinal/pharmaceutical crops, a naturally occurring low-caloric
sweetener, plant products that go into making Hawaiian flower leis
and other adornments, and the high pressure processing of Hawaii's
tropical fruits. |
| Multi-Cropping Strategies for Aquaculture |
$127,000 |
| Continued annual support for aquaculture research and
development targeted to the Island of Molokai. This project
addresses development of aquacultural enterprises consistent with
sustainable stewardship of land and water and the retention of
community and cultural values. The Molokai community has identified
the specific task of restoring historic fishponds. The community is
seeking maximum efficiency in producing both marketable and
subsistence products that can reduce the demand on natural
stocks. |
The Fiscal Year 2000 Agriculture Appropriations bill will now go to the
full Senate for consideration. It will then face a joint House-Senate
Conference and final House and Senate votes before its transmittal to the
White House.
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