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e'er, increased plantings thereby increasing agricultural production. It would also attract lower cost transportation options and create many new jobs and small businesses which our local work force could handle. This is a sustainable direction for agriculture. Export oriented agriculture k? aimed at fresh fruit upscale niche markets will require a constant influx of promotional marketing expenditures to continually identify and open new markets since these markets are trendy and not long-term. The expenditures of those market dollars will benefit the global agricultural community, not just Hawaii. ¦ Money for the establishment of a researchlcommercial beneficial insectary. Currently, it is illegal to import ~ beneficial insect into the state of Hawaii. One cannot do so even through a permitting process unless one is associated with a research ann of the university. Even then, it is extremely difficult. Most commercially available beneficials are raised in a laboratory situation and are considered 99.9% clean of possible parasites (with the exception of lady bugs which commercial insectaries gather from the wild due to their availability as a result of mating behavior and the complexity of their diet which would be hard to simulate in a laboratory situation). Also, only general parasites (Encarsia spp a parasitic wasp which gives fantastic control of greenhouse and silver back white flies) and predators (lady bugs, b~reen lacewings, praying mantis) which have limited benefit to tropical agriculture are being raised by mainland and European insectaries since these establishments cater to temperate climate agriculture. We need to support research of beneficials needed for tropical agriculture since many of the insects that cause economic damage in the tropics are either not present or do not cause serious economic damage in temperate climates. Timely release of beneficials either as "incubation" meaning introduction of beneficials before the negative pest population is significant or "augmentation" which refers to the release of large numbers of beneficials to compact a serious pest outbreak, is a very effective practice and an essential "tool of the trade" to organic production and production aimed at reducing pesticide use. ¦ Money for research development of new fruit varieties which could extend the season/availability of highly seasonal fruits (I.ongan, lychee, etc.). If we aze to have any comparative advantage in the exotic tropical fruit market, we need to have our product differentiated and hit the market at staggered times from the rest of the producing countries. This could also provide a source of revenue in terms of raising plants and scion wood. ¦ The county could provide suitable land for development of a research demonstration organic farm. Already a precedent has been set on Maui - a 29 acre county ag lot in Kula with a 50 year lease was just awarded to HOFA on a 6 month trial basis. We need to have such farms established in all of the agro-ecosystems in the state. ¦ Seed money for the establishment of water wells in areas without sufficient supply. In particular, the farmers in the northern Hamakua will be adversely affected by Bishop Fstatc's purchase of the water rights to the Hamakua ditch and their plan to divert the 17 million gallons per day for use in private development. The farms affected constitute some of our most 14