HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0728.065 2000-2002
Sep 23 02 03:27p Big Island farm Bureau 808-93~ 9930 p.2
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I~Ionoraable Jatrass ~1x~akaJca, Chair September 23, 200
And Council Meanbers -
llavvaia County Council
25 .Aupuni Street
Kilo, ilei 9f,7~U
Dear Chair Arakaki artd Council Members:
As a straall fanner in Harnaktaa for the past ten yeazs, I often ask myself -r why? !X/hy do I keep: bat~iaig
a~airast dae odds when tae chaezces of succeeding as a small l~rrs~r en Waaar-aii age slash? In addition to die
pmblerras of ha~ivtg to deal wig a limited and ofteta fickle local. rna~et; dig Island fat~aers a~tust cotatend
wig a host of imported diseases and insects. l;arm tfaefts and darraages caused by feel pig are also aYaajor
probierras ast ~lua,
17~ay? flay tFacn do I choose to cantinas fararaarog when I could just as well enjoy the good lift of a County
retiree? The ar?swer is simply ~ hope. I-Iope chat things will get better, corasurtraers vvitl buy island firesh
products, watea° ial d1e LovYer l`iarnalcua T3itrh gill soon floes again and enable fanners and aarechers ~
13aaraakua t4 survive periods of extended dt'ou,~at and pmbletma vaith farrri theft and aseld pig can be
resolved.
The problerras with in~ec°~ and discasa, havvevcr, asc difficult to cocrcct wi~our die use of expensive
chesaaicals rovhich most farms would prefer a7,ot using if here were better mad-less expennsivc alternatives.
Comic and hydroponic farnairag aa~ great if otze r.an afford the higl-i labor cosss ~d rtes cost for
sraft"astrtacttare and specialized sgta~prnent and supplies. The prefcrted altecraative for most fanners like .
naysclf is genetic ~gine~ng (~E). `T`hanks to GE:, daE dig Island stall has a viable papaya-industry. Besides
resistance to insect and diseases, V l? products taste betteranal-have longer shelf life and its da~pe~
lZssolutaon 236-QZp Draft ~ as I perceive it, poses a t#areat to all genetic engineCritag eeseart~t in the State of
~Xa~ii. Now its coffee, next it well be other cvnvazvditi~s :u~cl nnY only lianited io Rona but statewide. I
would have no problem in labelisag gcraetically modified products as stash and reeving the choice up to the
consumers. "Ihey area after all, the final test of ~e success or failure of asay neas~ product.
In cotaclusion, I v~rouId strongly advise the supporters of Resolution No. 236-02 ttiae they should be
grateful that research is ctattz~atly being conducted to produce a ~~Pf~ically rnodifted coFfet Islet I~utlare
resew araay lead to planes capable of rssistirtg a devastatarag disease, which wi.El surly happen.
I respectfully r~ue:,t d~aa YI•tc Catxnty Council not apFrovC Reaulutiun No. ~3G-0~,
Sincerely,
t;;onnra~, leTo
Robert Shaoji ~llc Idea.
life
lr, P ~ 5 2002