Congresswoman Hirono Votes for Farm Bill to Support Hawai‘i Farmers,
Invest in Renewable Energy and Fight Hunger
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congresswoman Mazie K. Hirono today joined a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives to support passage of the 2007 Farm Bill, which reauthorizes for five years (2008-2012) programs affecting every aspect of agriculture in the nation. The Farm, Nutrition and Bioenergy Act (H.R. 2419) was passed by a vote of 231-191.
Congresswoman Hirono said, "Given the many competing interests at play in developing a Farm Bill, I am very pleased with the House-passed bill, which makes significant reforms to the commodity support programs and expands support for specialty crops, which comprise almost all of Hawaii’s agriculture."
Three major Hawaii-specific initiatives were included, based on Congresswoman Hirono’s requests to the Chair of the House Agriculture Committee:
· Adding Hawaii to the list of states currently eligible for grants under the Agricultural Management Assistance Program, which provides cost-sharing assistance under contracts of three to ten years in specified states to help producers construct or improve water management and irrigation structures, plant trees, control soil erosion, practice integrated pest management, practice organic farming, and develop value-added processing. This program was designed to assist states underserved by federal crop insurance, but Hawaii was never previously added to the list.
· Establishing a Sun Grant Insular Pacific Center at the University of Hawai‘i to provide for financial assistance for the commercialization of bio-based energy technologies and products in Hawai‘i, Alaska, and the American-affiliated Pacific Islands of Guam, American Samoa, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Republic of Palau, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas. The Sun Grant Initiative is a national network of land-grant universities and U.S. Department of Energy laboratories partnering to support development, distribution, and implementation of bio-based energy technologies. Hawai‘i will join current centers at South Dakota State University, Oregon State University, Oklahoma State University, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, and Cornell University in this effort.
· Authorizing construction of a multi-species fruit fly rearing and sterilization facility in Hawai‘i to address concerns not only with the Mediterranean fruit fly but also with the other three species of non-native fruit flies (the Oriental fruit fly, Melon fruit fly, and Solanaceous fruit fly) in Hawai‘i. The fruit fly rearing facility in Waimanalo was closed several years ago due to a mold infestation. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has considered building a new facility elsewhere. Locating a facility in Hawai‘i that addresses all the non-native fruit fly species in Hawai‘i will provide an opportunity to pursue strategies that will reduce or eradicate fruit flies in some parts of the state, thereby enhancing export opportunities for Hawai‘i farmers.
In addition to these Hawaii-specific programs, Congresswoman Hirono strongly supported continuation of several national programs of particular importance to Hawai‘i, including:
· Maintaining the sugar program, which has been strengthened in the 2007 Farm Bill by increasing the loan rate for sugar from 18 cents per pound to 18.5 cents per pound. The House-passed farm bill also includes a sugar-to-ethanol program that will assist Hawai‘i producers who choose to pursue ethanol production. In addition, the report accompanying the bill calls on USDA to recognize Hawaii’s special energy challenges due to its isolated location by providing loans and loan guarantees for ethanol production.
· Increasing funding for specialty crops, specifically fruits and vegetables, which have been ignored in previous Farm Bills. The bill passed by the House today includes $1.6 billion for this initiative.
· Rapid response to prevent spread of invasive species, including $200 million in mandatory funding for pest and disease detection and control.
Other notable achievements of the bill include:
· Increasing funding for Farm Bill conservation programs
· Implementing Country of Origin Labeling for fruit, vegetables, and meat after years of delay
· Expanding the USDA fresh fruit and vegetable school snack program to all 50 states
· Strengthening and enhancing the food stamp program by reforming benefit rules to improve coverage of food costs and expand access to the program with additional funding support
· Supporting development of renewable energy by providing $1.5 billion for production incentives for ethanol and
biodiesel made from agricultural, forest, and waste plant materials.
Congresswoman Hirono said, "This bill is not perfect and does not contain everything I would have liked, including relief for our dairies and other livestock industries from high feed costs, but I do believe that this bill will be far more beneficial to Hawai‘i than previous Farm Bills were, especially in the areas of energy production and specialty crops."
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