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<br /> <br /> A <br /> ~ ~ O s Ft <br /> ~,IlIJbMIN J. CAYETANO JAMES J. NAKATANI <br /> BF <br /> Governor Y - - Chairperson, Board of Agriculture <br /> ! LETITIA N. UYEHARA <br /> y ?9 Deputy to the Chairperson <br /> PHONE: (808) 974-4140 <br /> State of Hawaii FAX: (808) 974-4148 <br /> DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE <br /> 16E Lanikaula Street <br /> Hilo, Hawaii 96720-4302 <br /> August 4, 1998 <br /> Mr. James Arakaki, Chairman <br /> RECFN®'~~... <br /> County Council <br /> }1me___- BY•- <br /> 5 Aupuni Street <br /> County Cound! <br /> to Hawaii 96720 <br /> Chairman James Arakaki and members of the County Council. <br /> My name is Lyle Wong and I am Administrator of the Plant Industry Division of the State <br /> Department of Agriculture. <br /> The following brief statement is made on behalf of the Chairperson of the Department of <br /> Agriculture, Mr. James Nakatani, in support of the proposed irradiation facility for the island <br /> of Hawaii. <br /> <br /> Over the past three years, growers and shippers in Hawaii with the assistance of the HDOA <br /> have moved over 270,000 pounds of tropical fruit (papaya, starfruit, lychee, atemoya, <br /> rambutan and others) to the Isomedix gamma irradiation facility in Morton Grove, Illinois, <br /> for quarantine treatment. <br /> <br /> The fruit has been offered for retail sale in main line and ethnic markets in Minnesota, Illinois, <br /> Indiana, Ohio, New York, Florida, Texas, California, Washington State and Hawaii, with <br /> <br /> excellent consumer acceptance. <br /> <br /> The test shipments demonstrate that growers in Hawaii can move quality products in <br /> significant volumes to a commercial irradiator, that fruit quality is not compromised by the <br /> treatment, and that market acceptance is high. The acceptance, in fact, has been enthusiastic <br /> and strongly positive as judged by the demand for fruit as well as the interest given to this <br /> project by numerous U.S. trade and marketing organizations. <br /> <br /> Some logistical problems have been encountered, all of which underscore the need for a <br /> commercial post-harvest irradiator in Hawaii. High value fruit as rambutan and atemoya bear <br /> late in the year. Some of our air shipments to and from Chicago have been "bumped" during <br /> the Christmas season when U.S. mail has priority. / <br /> <br /> <br /> Comm. No. 3 --2-- - <br /> <br /> Ftle No. 11 N <br /> I2ef. ro:Presented GOVA/" <br /> W. Data AW 5 tom <br />