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Res, ZI-25
C" .518
College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources
lJ UNIVERSITY Founding College of the University ofHawai'i
of HAwAI' I e Office of the Dean and Director for Research and Cooperative Extension
MANOA
Testimony Presented Before the o
County Council
County of Hawaii --+
Committee on Finance —'
N p -•C
June 3, 2025 at 11:00 a.m.
By M.
Parwinder Grewal, Dean
College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources
Res. 201-25 - AUTHORIZES THE PAYMENT OF FUNDS OF LATER FISCAL YEARS
FOR AN AGREEMENT WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI`I AT MANOA AND
AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO ENTER INTO SUCH AGREEMENT
Chair Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder, Vice Chair Hustace and Members of the Committee:
Thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony in support of Resolution No. 201-25
authorizing the Mayor to enter into a multi -year agreement, with a term of five years,
with the University of Hawaii at Manoa to share the cost of funding two additional
Extension Agent positions in Hawaii County to cover Indigenous Crops/East Hawaii
Master Gardeners and East Hawaii Livestock.
We appreciate the important partnership of the County of Hawaii with the match funding
provided in Resolution 201-25 for the expansion of cooperative agricultural extension
work to fill important gaps within the county. We support this resolution that proposes an
agreement to share the cost of funding the two Extension Agent positions in Hawaii
County for five (years). The vision of the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human
Resources (CTAHR) is an educated community, healthy population, and sustainable
food system and environment that strengthens the well-being and economic
development of the people of Hawaii. . In 2022, the agricultural producers of the County
were surveyed by the Department of Research and Development as part of the US EDA
Build Back Better Regional Challenge grant - Phase 1 about their needs to increase and
improve their production and businesses. One of the top needs identified by agricultural
producers was increasing the number of Extension Agents to provide technical
assistance to small and medium producers to scale and increase food security, and
foster cultural traditions. County Extension agents and specialists extend research -
based knowledge from the land-grant university out to the residents and agricultural
producers of the state and the agricultural producers from the County of Hawaii have
expressed how important these noted positions are essential to the health and well-
being of Hawai`i's agricultural producers and consumers.
Comm.
Thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony. !Ref. To: Ifj_
"'A nme. ,SUN - 3 2025
3050 Maile Way, Gilmore Hall 202 Honolulu, Hawaii 96822
Phone: 808-956-4141 E-mail: ctahrdn@hawaii.edu
www.ctahr.hawaii.edu
An Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action. Institution