HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0212.032 1996-1998 Dave Btoyles
PO Box 22 r- ~ ~ -
Papaaloa, HI 96780 F.
cellulaz 895-1082
May 5, 1997 ' 97 ~`~Y ~ i 1~
Hawaii County Council COIJf~ ,
75 Aupuni Street COUNTI' 0;- HAWAII
Hilo, HI 96720
RE: Written testimony for Irradiator Hearing, May 7
To the Council:
Opponents will doubtlessly claim that the Big Island could develop a bright agricultural
future growing vegetables for the Oahu mazket. This is highly doubtful. Oahu has experienced
the same collapse of the sugaz industry that the Big Island has. Oahu also has tens of thousands of
former cane lands now sitting fallow -enough to grow all of the vegetables that Oahu can
consume.
Oahu has definite advantages when it comes to serving its own mazket. Transportation is
faster and cheaper, allowing vegetables to reach their mazkets fresher. As of last summer, major
growers such as Lany Jefts were shifting their operations from neighbor islands to Oahu to take
advantage of Oahu's readily available land and inherent advantages of location.. At best, we can
hope to retain the Big Island's present shaze of the Oahe market. At worst, we may lose what
market share we now have.
The Big Island's organic growers may be able to develop niche mazkets for their products
on Oahu. They should certainly be encouraged in every way to do so. However, niche mazkets
on an island with a population of one million won't provide enough cash flow to rebuild our
devastated agricultural market. We need additional mazkets on an island that has a population of
260 million.
Sincerely yours,
Dave Broyles
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R1AY 8 1931