RES 071 Draft 02 1996-1998 - Laserfiche WebLink

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------y---------------------- --- " . . . COUNTY OF HAWAII STATE OF HAWAII RESOLUTION NO. 71 97 Draft 2 A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT AND CONSTRUCTION OF A PRIVATE POST HARVEST TREATMENT FACILITY IN THE COUNTY OF HAWAII WHEREAS, the island of Hawaii produces over 60 percent of the state's diversified crops; and WHEREAS, through the perseverance and commitment of agriculturists and its support network, the island of Hawaii is seeing the development of new, commercially-viable diversified crops such as lychee, rambutan, longan, papaya, mango, abiu, tangelo, star fruit, atemoya, cherimoya and durian; and WHEREAS, commercial viability depends upon numerous factors, including labor, marketing, land and development costs, transportation, weather, processing techniques, and export markets; and WHEREAS, the continued growth of Hawaii's diversified agricultural industry, particularly tropical fruits, relies upon the ability of the industry to export to the US mainland where strict federal quarantine regulations bar the import of fresh produce grown in fruit fly-infested regions like Hawaii; and WHEREAS, despite years of research and the application of post-harvest treatment alternatives like cold storage and hot-water dip treatments, a reliable solution has not met the range of agricultural commodity demands for marketability; and WHEREAS, the option of treating certain fruits with low dose gamma rays has been explored over the years and recent test-protocol shipments of Hawaii-grown fruits treated in a mainland irradiation facility, marketed and sold to consumers have met with enthusiastic acceptance; and WHEREAS, the Animal Plan Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has granted approval of irradiation treatment in Hawaii for papaya, star fruit and lychee and permits are pending for durian, rambutan, longan, star apple, atemoya and mango; and WHEREAS, the Department of Research and Development has compiled a list of local crops needing post harvest treatment and further identifying other potential crops and uses that could benefit from the post harvest treatment facility (see EXHIBIT A); and WHEREAS, since 1958 to 1995, the use of food irradiation has been approved by 40 countries, including the United States, France, Japan and Canada; and WHEREAS, irradiation has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration and the US Department of Agriculture for controlling insects in wheat and flour (1963), inhibiting sprouting