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Home My WebLink AboutCOM 0728.030 2000-2002 TROP HAWK PROD ID~808-966-7367 SEP 09'02 15 50 No .011 P.01 Yo ~Id.~j~~ ~ f~hone N !'hone M ~ Fez N FaX A ~S~t~~4Cd~L., 4'l~Od49~AA1l~60~9 P.O. ~3ox 210 ICeaau, ~daeaafi 96749 Phone (603) 966-7435 Fax (8Q8) 966.7367 Oate: September 9, 2002 C12airntatt James X. ~a.~aki COUN7`V COUNCIT~ County of I~avraii 25 Aupuaai. ~tr°eet halo, awaii. X6720 Fte: ~es~~uta 2~6-Q2 ~cax Chairrraan Ara.~aaCi: 1VIy reanae a.s Soren Iliiochida, General Msna~~ of Tropi~l ~iawaiian Pr~ductas ~TI-IP) in ~eaau, ~3aw~a. Tom' quarant'ixie Treats and export fresh. ps~pay seed processes pined pproduets. I was notified that a hea~ae~ ®at ~soiuti~at 23C-®~ as ~ be held ®n Tue$da3~, Sep~aatbor 10, 2002 at th.e County G'ourt~.l. chtbers. Since I will be c= isaand snd coot testis ore this r~.~luti®n, I herby submit ~y th®u~hts om tlai.s resolutioat. Papaya rinse®t virus (I'IZV) has had a veay i,~ant impact on papaya production in ~awr~ii.. The deanisc*. of tlge papaya. industry ®vas forecasted an the early nineties due ~ the rapid spread of PTV in com~.naerc~al orchards in Puna. Porturrately for Iiavraii's papaya industry, researchers at U.I~ College ®I'Tropieal culture ~ ~Iuat~aat P.elatioa~s (CT.~.~II;.), Cox°neal Uaaiversat~ New Y®r~, d USIIA-~,S b.ad bin t® create; a "trans~enie" papaya ~aih vices ~saatan~. They used "~eatetac en~ineerin~" or "~eatetic txansl'ormataon" tecteniques to insert palm ®f the varus antra the nucleus of tkee papaya cefll, This .,~eaUed the "1$ainbow" variety, a yellow Mesh papaya r~*sistant to the PItV, which is plaxated ®n appro ' ately 6®®/~, of the acreages in Puna. Thal ~ the vaariety that resists the PP.V aced saved the papay$ industry flcoin do®rn. "3°°here is a rn.ealti-axai~it~aa dollar a~searclt ceatter that will be built oat the ~a~ Island. The funds were ntan~dated that the f'acifiic basin lea Ilesea>~h Center ("~~C) be boils, ore the Isl.aa~d of I~awaii. The apiculture corramunity and Iiavraii's foremost a~r~cultetr°e entitaes ar°e i.n. sugsport of this ceatter. ~#tat anessa~s will tl>le Islaatd be seredirt~ out shoaeld a attoratoriatrez oaa ~eneticaliy .modi~.ed (CAE) co~°ee be acceptedY °I~tis will be a state of rise ax°t research center with 6Lhi~le tetra®io~ical" capabilities along with top research s~.cattists. Comm. No ale No. Ref, fio Ref. I~a.~ TROP HALJhJ PROD ID - 808-966-~36 ~ SFP 09' 02 15 50 Nn .011 P . 02 Development of genetically ea~gineered crops and foods is ~~a.onitored by three federal regulatory agencies: the U.S. De~>arta~e~at oi'Agmiculture, the Environmental I'rot~tic~n t4geney, ax~cl the I~°ood and Drug 1Lclga~.ini~l,rat.ion. C~~net.ic engiapering i,~ a powerful tool f®r Ynanipulatio~i of biological organieYns, and as such it has great potential for beneficial use. Thank you for this opportunity to submit my thoughts on this resolution. Sincc~rcly, dG~ ,oreal lO~Icx:hida Ge,~eral Manager ~~®~ICa4L S-1~W.AII~a1~0 ~~8®®lJC'Y~ P.O. Box 210 keaau, Hawaii 96749 Pone (808) 966-7435 Fax (808) 966-7367 Date: September 9, 2002 Chairman James Y. Arakaki COUNTY COUNCIL County of fiavaaii 25 Aupuni Street Hilo, I-Iawaii 96720 Re: Resolution 236-02 Dear Chairman Arakaki: My name is Loren Mochida, General Manager of Tropical Hawaiian Products ('I'HP) in Keaau, Hawaii. TI3P quarantine treats and exports fresh papayas and processes pureed products. I was noti.~ied that a hearing on Resolution 236-02 is to be held on Tuesday, September 10, 2002 at the County Council chambers. Since I will be oil= island and cannot testify on this resolution, I hereby submit ~y thoughts on this resolution. Papaya ringspot virus (PIt,V) has had a very significant i.ynpaet on papaya production i.n Hawaii. The deanise of the papaya industry was forecasted in the early nineties due to the rapid spread of PRV in commercial orchards iun. Puna. Fortunately for Hawaii's papaya industry, researchers at U~-I College of Tropical Agriculture ~ Human Relations (CTAHR), Cornell University in Neer York, and USDA-AI1,S had begun to create a "transgenic" papaya with virus resistance. They used "genetic engineering" or "genetic transformation" techniques to insert part of the virus into the nucleus of the papaya cell. This created the "Rainbow" variety, a yellow lllesh papaya resistant to the PR,V, which is planted on approximately 60% of the acreages in Puna. This is the variety that resists the PRV and saved the papaya industry from doom. There is a multi-million dollar research center that will. be built on the Big Island. The funds were mandated that the Pacific Basin Area Research Center (PBARC) be built on the Island of Hawaii. The agriculture community and Hawaii's foremost agriculture entities are in support of this center. What messages will the Big Island be sending out should a moratorium on genetically modified (GE) co#fee be accepted? This wi]l be a state of the art research center with "high technological" capabilities along with top research scientists. Developynent of genetically engineered crops and foods is monitored by three federal regulatory agencies: the U.S. l~epar~nt of t'~griculture, the environmental Protection ~4,gency, and the Food and I}rug Administration. Genetic engineering is a powerful tool for manipulation of biological organisms, and as such it has great potential for bsne~cial use. Thank you for this opportunity to submit my thoughts on this resolution. Sincerely, ~ 1 ~ ~'"Loren Mochida General Manager