Agriculture Awareness Day 2012

House Ag Chair Tsuji, Speaker Say, Senate Ag Chair Nishihara, and Rep. Giugni  greeting attendees

Today was the sixth annual Agriculture Awareness Day at the Capitol. The event was sponsored by the Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation and co-hosted by House Committee on Agriculture Chair and Vice Chair, Clift Tsuji and Mark Hashem and their Senate counterparts, Clarence Nishihara and Gilbert Kahele. 

"Kaua'i Grown" legislators, Reps. Kawikami and Tokioka supporting their local farmers

The Farm Bureau invited agriculture industry representatives from across the state to take part in the festivities. This year's participants included: Adopt-a-Beehive with Alan Wong Program, Aikane Plantation, City and County of Honolulu, Coordinating Group on Alien Pest Species (CGAPS), College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, DLNR, FFA, For J's Hawaii, Hali'imaile Pineapple Company, Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Company, Hawaii Agriculture Research Center, Hawaii Aquaculture and Aquaponics Association, Hawaii Cattlemen's Council, Hawaii Coffee Association, Hawaii Conservation Alliance, Hawaii Crop Improvement Association, Hawaii Department of Agriculture, Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation, Hawaii Food Industry Association, Hawaii Food Manufacturers Association, Hawaii Papaya Industry Association, Hawaii Restaurant Association, Ho Farms, Hula Girl Foods, Kamiya Gold, Kauai County Farm Bureau, Lani's Cattle and Goat Company, Legacy Land Conservation Program, Manoa Honey Company, maui County Farm Bureau, Maui Soil & Water Conservation Districts, Monsanto, Oahu Invasive Species Committee, Pioneer Hi-Bred, Roselani Ice Cream, USDA, and Young Brothers.

Vice Chair Hashem after enjoying a cup of 100% Kona Coffee

In addition to getting to taste samples of delicious, locally produced food, those in attendance were also presented with information regarding invasive species, conservation, and the application of biotechnology in agriculture. Ag Awareness day also provides an excellent opportunity for lawmakers and the public to meet our farmers face-to-face and learn about what they do.

Rep. Oshiro tasting fresh, local honey

House Finance Passes Agriculture Package

Late Friday afternoon, the House Committee on Finance approved a legislative package supporting agriculture in Hawai’i. The bills advancing are:

HB 2100 Relating to Bees.  HB2100 appropriates funds to the University of Hawai’i for statewide honeybee hive research. The bill will make an appropriation to be determined to each to the counties of Hawaii, Maui, Oahu, and Kauai, and the University of Hawai’i at Hilo for hands-on training with honeybee hives.

“The sale of honey, value-added honey products, and queen bees constitutes a significant portion of our agriculture industry. Providing funding to five locations on four islands will allow more of the state to become shareholders in this lucrative business,” said House Committee on Agriculture Chair, Rep. Clift Tsuji.

HB 280 Relating to Agriculture.  House Bill 280 will remove the requirement that all Hawaii-grown green coffee beans shall be inspected and certified by the Department of Agriculture and permits Hawaii-grown green coffee beans to be shipped outside the area of their geographic origin without being inspected by the Department of Agriculture.

“We required the inspections in an effort to help coffee farmers in response to a high profile coffee bean fraud incident a few years back," added Rep. Tsuji.  "Without sufficient funding for the inspectors, this mandate has done more harm to the industry than good and needs to be repealed."

HB 2244 Relating to Agriculture Inspectors. House Bill 2244 authorizes the Department of Agriculture to establish compliance agreements with the federal government and other states for inspections conducted in the state of origin. This will mitigate the risk posed to biosecurity in the form of invasive species being transported with imported goods. The legislation will also bring Hawaii's fruit, vegetable, and flower export industries into compliance with federal regulations and requirements from other states.

“HB2244 is a classic win-win piece of legislation for the state of Hawaii," said Tsuji. "It protects our state from the threat of invasive species coming in with imports, eases the burden on our agriculture inspectors, and eliminates federal and interstate compliance issues for our agricultural export industries.”

HB 1943 Relating to Invasive Species. House Bill 1943 makes an appropriation to the Department of Agriculture to fund the plant quarantine detector-dog program.  State funds will replace Federal funds that sponsored the detector-dog program that ended with recent budget cuts. The primary role of the detector-dog program is to prevent the brown tree snake from coming to Hawai’i, but it will also cover other threats to the state's biosecurity.

“We have seen how the brown tree snake has decimated the native flora and fauna of Guam, and I am not willing to see the same thing happen to Hawaii," added Rep. Tsuji.  "Biosecurity doesn’t only protect our environment and native species, it fortifies our tourism and agricultural industries."

HB 1942 Relating to Agriculture.  HB1942 allows moneys in the pest inspection, quarantine, and eradication fund to be expended for the Electronic Importer Manifest Program (EIMP). The EIMP is a Department of Agriculture mandate that provides for the transfer from an importer to the plant quarantine inspector of data on all commodities of interest imported by aircraft or ship.

“There are excessive backlogs in agriculture inspection resulting from the lack of implementation of integrated technologies, most notably the EIMP,” said Rep. Tsuji. “Appropriating funds for EIMP will place the program in compliance with existing requirements and eliminate the backlog keeping agriculture products from reaching the market in a timely manner.”

HB 1941 Making an Appropriation for Agricultural Inspection Facilities and Related Infrastructure.  HB1941 makes a total appropriation to be determined to establish agricultural inspection biosecurity facilities and related infrastructure at the Honolulu International Airport, Kona International Airport, Kawaihae Harbor, Kamuela Vacuum Cooling Plant, and Honolulu Harbor.

“The creation of adequate agricultural inspection biosecurity facilities at our main airports and harbors is essential in our efforts to prevent invasive species from wreaking havoc on our ecosystems and biodiversity,” said Tsuji. “If an invasive species were to take root in Hawai’i, the results have the potential to be permanent and devastating.”

HB 2093 Relating to Agricultural Education.  HB2093 establishes a Center for Agricultural Leadership within the University of Hawai’i at Hilo and requires the University of Hawai’i to establish a two-year pilot project at one high school in each county to determine the steps necessary for a school farm to be food safety certified by the Department of Agriculture.

“The creation of the Center for Agricultural Leadership will increase opportunities for an agricultural education and career path throughout the University of Hawai’i system,” said Rep. Tsuji. “Developing a method for making school farms food safety certified will break down the biggest barrier in supplying our children with fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables.”

HB 1947 Relating to Agriculture.  House Bill 1947 authorizes the Department of Agriculture to establish an Agricultural Safety and Security Program, which will be accompanied by an Agricultural Practices Audit and Certification Revolving Fund.  Under the voluntary program, the Department will conduct audit and certification services indicating a producer’s compliance with generally accepted agricultural and management practices as well as food security and traceability requirements.

“Recent rat lungworm nematode cases on the Big Island show that Hawai’i is not immune from the threat of food borne illness,” said Rep. Tsuji. “The agriculture industry has developed a series of practices to mitigate these risks. HB 1947 will benefit farmers and consumers of local produce by assuring everything going to market will be safe for consumption.”

The Finance Committee deferred HB 2668 Relating to Agriculture for now, but will be working on the language of the bill within the next few days.  Currently, HB2668 amends an important agricultural land tax credit to allow an additional fifteen percent credit for drought mitigation and changes the tax credit cap from $7,500,000 per year to $5,000,000 per year for the 2012 tax year, and $7,000,000 for the 2013, 2014, and 2015 tax years. The bill also creates a livestock feed tax credit for 2012 and creates a feed development tax credit program for 2013 and 2014.

“House Bill 2668 provides much needed assistance to the business side of agribusiness,” added Rep. Tsuji. “We currently import 100% of our feedstock and this piece of legislation will also promote the development of a local feedstock industry.”

Agriculture Update

Hawaii Farmers Union President Glenn Martinez testifies in favor of HB2667

Three bills were adopted by the Committee on Agriculture today, all of which were heard during a joint session with the Committee on Economic Revitalization & Business. Bills HB2151, HB2317, and HB2432 represent significant steps toward developing our agriculture industry by helping local farmers.

Introduced by Rep. Chang, HB2151 will allow farmers to sell products from their farms on their farms through the establishment of farm stands. HB2317, which was introduced by Rep. McKelvey, will repeal the prohibition against overnight accommodations as part of agricultural tourism activities on farms. These two bills will provide farmers with an opportunity to bring in much needed, additional revenue, revenue that may be the difference in staying in business or not.

An administration bill, HB2432, will exempt the purchase of fresh meats, produce, animals, and plants by the government from the Hawaii Public Procurement Code. This measure will enable school cafeterias to use local ingredients to feed our children, providing a boost to the local economy while increasing the nutritional value of school meals.

Many of the bills that were deferred received a great deal of attention and heated testimony. Introduced by Speaker Say, HB1827 included a 1 cent fee on each pound of green coffee beans grown in or imported into the state to support an effort to eradicate the coffee borer beetle as well as other provisions aimed at dealing with the potentially devastating threat posed by the insects. The bill was ultimately deferred, but money will be taken from the Barrel Tax to help fund a coffee borer beetle eradication program.

The Department of Agriculture and Hawaii Farm Bureau Federation joined together in strong opposition to HB2301 and HB2667, which were both deferred indefinitely by Chair Tsuji. HB2301, submitted by Rep. Carroll, closely mirrors HB2703 in setting a mandate to double the state's consumption of locally produced food by 2020. The DoA and HFBF agreed with the bill in theory, but opposed the prohibition measure in the bill. Their contention is that prohibiting landowners from reclassifying agricultural lands of 25 or more acres for non-agricultural purposes is not a suitable penalty if landowners fail to meet the goal of doubling our local food consumption from 10% to 20% in 7 years.

Introduced by Chair Tsuji, HB2667, would authorize the DoA to lease land under its jurisdiction to qualified farmers at a reduced rate for food production. Despite testifying several times before the Committee in favor of doubling our local food consumption, both the DoA and the HFBF, opposed this piece of legislation. Their testimony was critical of  HB2667 because it would discriminate against other forms of agriculture, which include GMO seed corn and biofuel crop production. DoA Chair Russell Kokubun went on to say that the Department "does not favor food production."

Another bill introduced by Chair Tsuji, HB1948, received unanimous support from the Committee and from testimony. The bill was deferred for decision making until February 8th to provide lawmakers time to finalize some of the language before adoption. The bill would strengthen laws concerning agricultural theft.

The next hearing for the Committee on Agriculture will be on Monday, February 6, at 11:15am in Conference Room 325 of the Capitol. The agenda can be found here.

Illegal Critters

Rep. Clift Tsuji moderated a panel on "Invasive Species" at the recent CSG-WEST conference, and as part of the presentation, the Hawaii Department of Agriculture brought some conviscated, illegal critters for "show and tell."

Leopard Gecko

Madagascar Hissing Cockroach

Bearded Dragon

Bearded Dragon

Ball Python

Tonight - Hilo Legislative Wrap Up

Hilo Town Hall Meeting & Legislative Highlights

Community Invited

WHAT: The community is invited to attend a town hall meeting and legislative update hosted by state Representatives Mark Nakashima (District 1 – North Kohala, South Kohala, Hamakua, North Hilo, South Hilo); Jerry Chang (District 2 – South Hilo, Waiakea Kai, Kaumana, Keaukaha); Clift Tsuji (District 3 – South Hilo, Panaewa, Puna, Keaau, Kurtistown); and Bob Herkes (District 5 – Puna, Ka'u, South Kona, North Kona.)

House Finance Chair, Rep. Marcus Oshiro, will also be in attendance to discuss the state budget bill, closing the budget deficit, and how this will impact the public.

WHEN: Tuesday, June 7, 2011

5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

WHERE: University of Hawaii at Hilo

UCB 127 (Ho'oulu Terrace)

WHY: District representatives will report and take questions on the key bills passed by the 2011 Legislature including the state budget, capital improvements, mortgage foreclosures and updates on Big Island issues.

Team Chang/Tsuji win "Most Creative"

Rep. Clift Tsuji, Cyril Pahinui and Rep. Jerry Chang

In a chili cooking contest, you have to wonder what "Most Creative" means, but congratulations to Rep. Jerry Chang and Rep. Clift Tsuji who cooked chili on Saturday, April 9th to benefit Kohala Intergenerational Youth and Seniors Program.

Rep. Tsuji and Rep. Chang are shown here with Cyril Pahinui who performed for the event.

Taking home the First Place People's Choice Award was Hawaii County Councilman Dennis "Fresh" Onishi and David Shiigi.

Coqui found on Oahu

Three coqui frog were recently captured on Oahu, one from Kapolei, one in Waikiki and one on Monsarrat Avenue in East Oahu. These three were still alive and hanging out in Rep. Clift Tsuji's office. It's hard to tell from the photo, but they are about 1 inch long. They will be there until the Department of Agriculture comes to get them.

Agriculture Chair Tsuji on Mosquito Surveillance

The lack of funding and personnel for invasive species hinders the Department of Agriculture's ability to monitor mosquito infestations. Here's KITV's report from last night:

Malaria Transmitting Mosquito Prompts Need For Surveillance - Video - KITV Honolulu

Coffee Borer Meeting Today

Rep. Clift Tsuji and Carol Okada, Plant Quarantine Manager at the State Department of Agriculture, appeared this morning on Hawaii News Now to discuss the infestation of the Coffee Berry Borer and its impact on Hawaii's coffee industry. See video here.

The meeting to discuss a possible quarantine is scheduled today at 1:30 p.m. at the Plant Quarantine station.

Latest "buzz" on Kona coffee berry borer

Quarantine to be considered for Big Island

The Advisory Committee on Plants and Animals, attached to the State Department of Agriculture, will meet on Wednesday, November 17, 2010 to consider one or more quarantine zones on the island of Hawaii to prohibit the importation of green coffee beans. At issue is a serious infestation of the Coffee Berry Borer in local crops reported by Kona Coffee farmers. The pest infestation was confirmed by the United States Department of Agriculture – Agriculture Research Service Systematic Entomology Laboratory.

The purpose of the meeting will be to hear testimony from the Hawaii coffee industry and, if warranted, to develop a request to the Board of Agriculture to adopt an interim rule restricting the movement of green coffee beans into the state. The meeting will be held on:

Date: Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Time: 1:30 p.m.
Place: 1849 Auiki Street, Plant Quarantine Station Conference Room, Sand Island.
Persons wishing to provide testimony may do so in the following ways:

· Via email to: Carol.L.Okada@hawaii.gov
· Via fax to: 808-832-0584
· Drop off or Mail to: 1849 Auiki Street, Honolulu, Hawaii 96819

Oral testimony will be accepted at the meeting. Testifiers must provide a contact phone number if they wish to receive confirmation that their testimony has been received.

“It is imperative that interested parties provide testimony either in person or in writing as this will determine the committee’s recommendation to the Board of Agriculture by the end of the month,” said Rep. Clift Tsuji (District 3 – South Hilo, Panaewa, Puna, Keaau, Kurtistown), Chair of the House Committee on Agriculture. “The coffee industry in Hawaii has a history spanning 200 years, and we don’t want to see it collapse because of our inattention to contain or eradicate the coffee berry borer infestation.”

It is unknown at this time how the coffee berry borer will affect Kona coffee yields and quality of the product. The coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei) is considered the world’s most destructive coffee pest. Researchers estimate that the damage caused by the coffee berry borer worldwide is about $500 million per year in a global industry worth $90 billion per year.

Currently, there is no provision in Hawaii Administrative Rules that addresses the coffee berry borer or that restricts movement of coffee relative to this pest. An interim rule may be adopted in the absence of effective rules if a situation is dangerous to public health and safety or if the ecological health of flora and fauna is endangered as to constitute an emergency.

The Plant Quarantine Branch of the DOA has requested the adoption of an interim rule to prohibit the movement of coffee plants, plant parts, unroasted seeds, and used coffee bags out of a quarantine zone in the Kona area of the island of Hawaii, except by permit. The Advisory Committee on Plants and Animals may accept or amend the request and submit their findings to the Board of Agriculture which is scheduled to meet in late November. The committee may also reject or defer the request.

Violators, under the proposed rule, would be guilty of a misdemeanor and fined not less than $100. The maximum fine would be set at $10,000. The interim rule would be valid for no longer than one year.


FACT SHEET – Coffee Berry Borer

Current Condition:

· The Department of Agriculture has surveyed about 65 sites statewide. Of these sites, 21 are infested with the coffee berry borer.
· All infested sites are in the Kona area of the Big Island.
· The infested zone includes the area from mile marker 29 on Hwy 190 (Mamalahoa Hwy) and mile marker 93 on Hwy 19 (Queen Kaahumanu Hwy), south to mile marker 62 on Hwy 11, east of Naalehu.
· In addition to the infested zone, the DOA has reports from about 100 individual farms that may be infested.
· The coffee berry borer lays its eggs in the coffee cherry and as the eggs develop into larva, the larva feed inside the coffee bean. The bean may be further damaged by secondary fungal, bacterial and insect infestation. The combined damage can reduce yield, lower the quality and destroy the entire bean.

Eradication/Control Strategy

· There are no chemical insecticides available in Hawaii that can effectively control coffee berry borer. As the pest lives inside the fruit, chemical control strategies are limited.
· While it is difficult to contain the coffee berry borer, even with the establishment of quarantine zones, the dissemination of the contamination can be retarded for many years through improved pest management practices. The pest spreads through human activity.

Coffee in Hawaii

· There are 6,500 acres under cultivation statewide, with annual production running between 6 and 7 million pounds.
· Kona has produced coffee continuously since the early 1800’s and supports nearly 600 independent farms. Farms average 3 acres and only a few have 50 or more acres. Total Kona coffee acreage is over 2,000 acres, producing more than 2 million pounds in most years.
· Kauai has the largest coffee orchard in Hawaii and in the United States with 3,000 acres in production.
· Maui has several small coffee farms spanning from Kaanapali, the slopes of Haleakala, and an organic farm in Hana. Maui has a total of 500 acres of coffee planted on converted sugar cane lands.
· Oahu has over 100 acres of coffee in Wahiawa and Waialua.

MidWeek Hot Shots

Photo and Story: Midweek

The Hawaii Crop Improvement Association recently honored state House Speaker Calvin Say (center) and state Rep. Clift Tsuji (right), chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, with the 2010 BIO Co-Legislators of the Year award. The lawmakers were recognized by the Biotechnology Industry Organization for their leadership and support of the agricultural biotechnology industry in Hawaii. Pictured with them (from left) are Fred Perlak, president, HCIA; Laurie Goodwin, president-elect, HCIA; and Adolph Helm, HCIA.

Speaker Say and Ag Chair Tsuji named BIO Co-Legislators of the Year

Congratulations to Speaker Calvin Say and Rep. Clift Tsuji for being named Co-Legislators of the Year by BIO, the Biotechnology Industry Organization, based in Washington, D.C.

Hawaii maintains a $200 million seed crop industry, and the state's agricultural biotech sector employs about 2,000 people statewide.

From the press release:

"Both Speaker Say and Rep. Tsuji understand and embrace the benefits of biotechnology and recognize its important role in fostering the growth of ag commodites like seed corn, soybean, sunflowers and cotton. Their individual business expertise and understanding of the issues critical to the agriculture industry have benefitted the people of Hawaii tremendously," said Jim Greenwood, President and CEO of BIO.

Both Rep. Tsuji, who currently serves as Chair of the House Committee on Agriculture, and Speaker Say, a previous Vice-Chair of the House Committee on Agriculture, have demonstrated consistent leadership and support for agricultural biotechnology as a means of creating a more abundant and reliable food supply by increasing crop yields, enhancing resistance to pests and diseases, and enabling farmers to grow crops in a more environmentally sustainable way.

BIO represents more than 1,200 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the United States and in more than 30 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of innovative healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products. BIO also produces the BIO International Convention, the world’s largest gathering of the biotechnology industry, along with industry-leading investor and partnering meetings held around the world.

Container Fee Bill Signed Into Law to Help Fight Invasive Species

Rep. Clift Tsuji - Chair, House Agriculture Committee

Governor Lingle today signed into law a bill that will help to fight invasive species by strengthening Hawaii’s agricultural inspection and biosecurity laws. SB2523, now Act 173, does the following:

• Exempts aggregate bulk freight, cement bulk freight, coal bulk freight and liquid bulk freight from the pest inspection, quarantine and eradication service fee. Imposes fines for failure to pay, bill or remit in a timely manner the same fee.

• Expands the purposes for expenditure from the pest inspection, quarantine and eradiation fund.

• Requires the deposit of fees and fines relating to agricultural inspections into the fund.

• Repeals the permit revolving fund and microorganism import certification revolving fund and transfers moneys into the pest inspection, quarantine and eradiation fund.

“SB2523 was one of the most important bills for the agriculture industry in the 2010 legislative session,” said Rep. Clift Tsuji, Chair of the House Committee on Agriculture. “This new law gives the Department of Agriculture greater resources to focus on agriculture inspection and biosecurity. The legislature is greatly concerned about the impact of invasive species on agriculture and our natural environment.”

The other critical piece of legislation for agriculture and invasive species is HB1684, signed into law as Act 128 in May. That bill established fines and penalties for the intentional spreading or introducing of invasive species.

“Invasive species harms not only our environment, but our economy, our health and the lifestyle of Hawaii’s people,” said Rep. Tsuji. “We felt greater fines and penalties are warranted given the serious impact to the state.”

Hawaii part of Federal Honeybee Survey

From the Associated Press story, Hawaii has been selected to participate with 12 other states in a survey of honeybee pests and diseases.

Hawaii beekeepers have been battling varroa mites and hive beetles for the past few years, jeopardizing the bee and honey industry statewide. In addition, bee pollination is critical for certain types of pollination-based crops.

Today, Rep. Clift Tsuji will be the guest speaker at the Air Cargo Association meeting. He'll be presenting a Legislature Update: Focus on Agriculture. Here are some main points of the presentation:

Major Agriculture Bills Passed:

HB1684 Fines and penalties for intentional spreading or introducing of invasive species. This bill became law as Act 128.

SB2523 Strengthening agriculture inspection and biosecurity laws. This bill was enrolled to the Governor and awaits signature.

Major Agriculture Objectives/Issues:

*Providing an adequate number of inspectors to clear cargo in a timely manner.

*Preventing invasive species from impacting our farms and forests.

*Increased interceptions by USDA and in California has resulted in the embargo of Hawaii grown products.

*Newly established pests have hit ti leaf farms and beekeepers.

*Planning for inspection facilities that provide for the proper and safe storage and handling of cargo, expecially agricultural and food commodities awaiting inspection.

Photo: Honolulu Advertiser. Inspectors shake out Christmas trees for pests.

Funding for Agiculture Inspectors

In 2009, 52 out of 73 general funding inspector positions were given reduction in force (RIF) layoff notices. Twenty two (22) were temporarily reinstated.

In 2010, the 22 reinstated positions were placed on special funds, and 23 RIF positions were brought back by the legislature on general funds.

Invasive species bill signed into law

Governor Lingle signed into law yesterday HB1684, a bill to prevent and reduce the intentional introduction and spreading of invasive species in Hawaii. The measure, now Act 128, does the following:

· Establishes a petty misdemeanor offense for any person who violates the provisions governing the importation of certain agricultural items

· Establishes a Class C felony offense for intentionally importing, possessing, harboring, transferring, or transporting any pest designated by statute or rule, unless the pest is otherwise allowed by law in the state

· Establishes penalties and fines appropriate to the harm to the natural environment, the economy, and the health and lifestyle of Hawaii’s people

“This law is critical to fighting the battle against invasive species,” said Rep. Clift Tsuji (District 3 – South Hilo, Panaewa, Puna, Keaau, Kurtistown), Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee and introducer of the bill. “Every citizen in the state, including visitors, must take responsibility to ensure that we are not allowing invasive species to ruin our natural beauty and hurt our economy. I believe that giving the Department of Agriculture this new authority will provide the disincentive we need for greater control.”

Wok Out!

From Left: Rep. Clift Tsuji, Char Shigemura, Mayor Kenoi, Rep. Jerry Chang cooking up some Chicken Hekka. (Photo: Denna Macanas)

Last Saturday, Big Island Representatives Clift Tsuji and Jerry Chang participated in a "Chicken Wok Out" - a cooking contest for a good cause - The Food Resilience Project. There were five teams competing for the tastiest chicken dish.

Team 1 - David Fuentes and Mayor Billy Kenoi

Team 2 - Senators Russell Kokubun and Dwight Takamine

Team 3 - Representatives Clift Tsuji and Jerry Chang

Team 4 - Councilmembers Dennis Onishi and David Shiigi

Team 5 - Chef Alan Awana (Gov. Lingle's Chef) and Kaleo Iwasaki

The House team cooked up "Chicken Hekka". The Senate team made "Korean Chicken". I guess each dish was equally delicious as everyone got a blue ribbon.

Agriculture Layoffs Will Impact Hawaii Exports

The House Agriculture Committee will hold a second informational briefing on the impact of potential layoffs for agricultural inspectors. Tomorrow, Ag Chair Rep. Clift Tsuji will focus on Hawaii's wide range of exports. You can see it live on Olelo, Ch. 49.

WHAT: The House Agriculture Committee will hold a meeting to gather information on the negative impact of potential agriculture inspector layoffs on Hawaii’s export industry, including plants, tropical flowers, tropical fruits/papaya, macadamia nuts, coffee, and more.


WHEN: Thursday, September 10, 2009
1:00 p.m.


WHERE: State Capitol, Conference Room 325

See you in 25 years

House members and staff today loaded a tiny silver time capsule full of memorabilia representing the past and present of the Hawaii House of Representatives. The House's pill is only one of 50 time capsules that will be buried in different locations statewide. They will be opened on the State's 75th anniversary in 2034.

The following are some of the items that were packed into the capsule:

• 1959 and 2009-2010 House member composite photos
• Photo of the House Freshman Class of 2009
  
• 2009 House staff directory
• 2009 legislative pocket directory
• Lapel pin from SAA inventory
• Sample bill, resolution, committee report, and certificate
• House Journal excerpts from 2009 Opening Day, Joint Session for Statehood, and 2009 Adjournment Sine Die day
• Personal letters from Speaker Emeritus Joe Souki, Speaker Calvin Say, and the six freshmen lawmakers
• Star Bulletin - Aug. 17, 2009 issue and Jan. 21, 2009 (Obama Inauguration issue)
  
• Pacific Business News - dated Aug. 14, 2009
• 2009 Budget and Fiscal information and Plans
• Menus from favorite eateries frequented by House members and staff
• Civil unions (HB444) documents and photos
• Hamakua Sugar - last sugar producation processed Sept. 1994 (courtesy Rep. Barbara Marumoto)
• "No Coqui Frogs" fan from Rep. Clift Tsuji

House members also included in the capsule their business cards with a short message written on the back. Some quoted famous authors, others addressed the citizens of the state, and a few even wrote endearing messages to their family members.

Rep. Roy Takumi: Remember what a privilege it is to serve...

Rep. Joey Manahan: I am truly grateful to be able to serve the people of the 29th House district and the people of the State of Hawaii. My decisions are made with you in mind always. Mabuhay.

Rep. Ken Ito: To my grandchildren Tyler, Kerry, James & Daniel. Hope all in good health and productive citizens working to make Hawaii and the world a better place. Love, Grandpa.

Rep. John Mizuno: I love Hawaii!

Rep. Mark Nakashima: Dear Friends, I hope that history will be kind to us...finding that Hawaii is in a better place as a result of the leadership and foresight provided by those of us here today.

Rep. Clift Tsuji: Aloha. Ag sustainability and security. Hope the fruits of our initiatives today will satisfy your palates 50 years from now. "Buy Local, Buy Fresh."

Chief Clerk Pat Shimizu: It has truly been an honor to serve the state House, its members and staff.

Asst. Chief Clerk C.J. Leong: "To know what is right and not to do it is the worst cowardice." -- Confucius

Much mahalo to the staff from the House Chief Clerk's Office for collecting and filling the capsule of items we won't be seeing again for 25 years!

Food Certification Pilot Program Expected to Strengthen Agriculture/Tourism Relationship

Nancy Cook Lauer wrote a focus piece on HB1471, a measure that establishes a safe food certification pilot program, in today's West Hawaii Today. The story is here. The bill was passed by the legislature, vetoed by the governor, and then passed into law through a legislative override last week.

The bill was introduced by Rep. Clift Tsuji, the chair of the House Agriculture Committee. The pilot program is aimed to help farmers successfully manage the safe food certification process so that more of their product can be sold to Hawaii hotels and restaurants.

While the article focuses on the visitor industry, it is clear that local residents are also searching for fresh, locally grown produce and products, as evidenced by the growing popularity in farmers' markets around the state.

Here are some quotes from Nancy's article:

"It's a better working environment for our employees, and it gives the consumers an extra level of confidence." Richard Ha, Hamakua Springs Country Farms.

"We recognize that our guests' tastes are evolving and our new Sustainable Menu introduces them to quality Big Island foods." Paul Matsumoto, Sheraton Keauhou Food and Beverage Director.

"In today's agricultural climate, food safety is a consumer demand and food producers must be held accountable for food-borne illnesses. Hawaii's already fragile (agricultural) industry cannot afford even one epidemic outbreak." Rep. Clift Tsuji, House Agriculture Committee Chair.

"If even one incident were to take place here where tourists got sick from eating food from any of the many restaurants or hotels that service our tourists, Hawaii would have a black eye forever." Mark Teruya, President and CEO, Armstrong Produce.

UH Hilo Honors Rep. Clift Tsuji

The University of Hawaii at Hilo has named Rep. Clift Tsuji (District 3 - South Hilo, Panaewa, Puna, Keaau, Kurtistown) as a recipient for the 2009 Distinguished Service Award. Rep. Tsuji will be recognized in an award ceremony on February 27, 2009 at the UH Hilo Campus Center Ballroom. The late state Senator John Ushijima and his wife Margaret will also be honored for Distinguished Service.

UH Hilo will also present Distinguished Alumni Awards to environmental, planning and land use consultant Dr. Ron Terry, real estate broker Carol Ginoza-Arikawa, and Kumu Lehua Veincent, a noted teacher and school administrator.

Here is what the UH Hilo says about Rep. Tsuji:

State Representative Clift Tsuji understands the positive economic impact a strong university has on a community such as Hilo, both as a large-scale employer and as an educator of the local workforce.

Tsuji, a retired Central Pacific Bank senior vice president, has long been a staunch supporter of UH Hilo. Now in his third term representing the 3rd House District, Tsuji has assumed a proactive role as a creator of and advocate for legislative initiatives to benefit UH Hilo.

In the 2007 and 2008 legislative sessions, Tsuji introduced three bills and one concurrent resolution directly affecting UH Hilo, two relating to Hawaiian language education. As Chair of the House Agriculture Committee, Tsuji introduced a measure requesting that the UH Hilo College of Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resource Management collaborate with the State Department of Agriculture and Hawaiʻi Community College to conduct a study to evaluate programs developed by the Kulani Correctional Facility to aid in the revitalization of State agriculture.

Closer to home, Tsuji has worked as a member of the UH Hilo Education Department’s Advisory and Advocacy Group. He provided support for Associate Professor Seri Luangphinith and the book project of her English 323 class, Ku Kilakila: Writing from the Big Island. In addition, he supported repairs to the Manono Street Campus, testified before the Board of Regents in support of the China-U.S. Center and worked to advance the UH Hilo Baccalaureate Nursing program and to fund faculty positions.