COM 0212.449 1996-1998 - Laserfiche WebLink

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. F April 23, 1997 Testimony to Hawaii County Council Comnsittee on Finance Regazding the development of apost-harvest treatment facility (irradiation) in the County of Hawaii. Councilors, (Mayor), Chairman Chung, My name is Marlene Houma and I am Assistant to the President of MacFarms of Hawaii -who is traveling. MacFarms owns and operates one of the world's largest macadamia businesses - growing and processing macadamia on the South Kona coast of the Big Island, then exporting and selling around $25 million of macadamias around the world. This testimony is in support of the proposal to establish an irradiation facility on the Big Island for postharvest treatment of tropical agricultural products. MacFarms will not attempt to argue the "moral" and supposed safety issues of irradiation. However, we do believe that there was an interestingly similar amount of induced hysteria at the time that: • Columbus wanted to sail azound the world , RE~ENEd nom----------------- B Steam trains started running ~~,3~~__°._""^~^^ County Council j~7. FG- • Automobiles replaced horses • Women doctors started practicing All of these were to have led to the downfall of society at that time. As a major producer and exporter of agricultural products, it is quite obvious to us that the lifeblood of any agricultural industry is not production but marketing. The key players in the macadamia industry (MacFarms, Mauna Loa and Hawaiian Host - representing close to 90% of Hawaii's macadamia revenue) aze key because of their marketing -not their production or processing facilities. The extension of this is that if Hawaii wishes to maintain its rural culture and agrarian lifestyle as well as its economic viability, then markets and the marketing of its agricultural products are vitally important. nlar Z r 2.4~f9 >rne xe. Rec. Y`ot Prosented ~ c- D... tAPR ~ A