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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0883.042 2006-2008 JAN-23-2006 14:51 From:TR0PICRL HAWRIIRN 18089667367 To:9618912 P + TROPICAL HAWAIIAN PRODUCTS 2008 A 23 FM 2 51 CDJ,% F.0 lix21t) CCl NVv Keaad HaAa;i 957o) Phon, AWE) 966 !435 TESTIMONY BEFORE THE HAWAII COUNTY COUNCIL Pac ,ec E) 966ass7 RESOLUTION 463-08 RELATING TO TEMPORARILY PROHIBIT THE GROWING 0'.. GENETICALLY MODIFIED COFFEE PRESENTED BEFORE THE TWENTY-EIGHT SESSION COUNTY OF HAWAII January 2008 Dear Chairman Hoffmann and Council Members: STRONGLY OPPOSE. My name is Loren Mochida, General Manager of Tropical Hawaiian Products in Keaau, Hawaii. THP is a processor and exporter of Hawaiian Premium papay,+ is to CONUS and Japan. THP represents over 60 papaya growers that provide thc: transgenic "Rainbow" papayas for processing. We are strongly opposed to Resolution 463.08, which supports H.B. 1577 H.A. 1 to Temporarily Prohibit the Growing and Raising of Genetically Modified (or simp" y Food BiotechnoCogy) Coffee for a Period of Five Years and at the Same Time, Permit Research in an Environmentally Secure Facility. In the early 1990s, papaya growers were devastated by the Papaya Ring-spot W-u: (PRV), which threatened a way of life for hundreds of farmers in Hawaii. A transgenic papaya with virus resistance was created by the UH College of Trop:, al Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) and Cornell University in New "Tor 6. These transgenic papayas were finally planted in the late 1990s as new varieCc f named "Rainbow" and "Sunup- Both of these varieties have saved the Hawaiiar, papaya industry and have reestablished the grower's papaya farms. The papaya industry and my packing plant would not be operating today if it were not for biorecrinoCogy. pp Z Comm. No. U F3. Ref. To: Ffte Ref. Dote 2008 JRN-23-2008 14:51 From:TROPICRL HRWRIIRN 18089667367 To:9618912"- The coffee industry should learn from the papaya industry, that curtailing tcs6r g f their crops could be devastating to their industry. Apart of the research is do az_ual field testing to see if this new variety could adapt to the environment without losilig other characteristics like production. Once the transgenic variety reaches this stage, government Agencies have alrea ly considered this too be safe to the environment and human being. The researches followed all the laws and was open to public comments People have several choices now of eating various varieties of papaya, from orgy ai conventional or biotech (Rainbow) papayas. Coffee farmers should also have a choice of growing biotechnology crops if it means survival. Ask any Rainbow or Sunup papaya growers. The "Rainbow" variety has allowed the Kapoho solo variety and assisted in the organic growers to successfully cultivate these non-transgenic papayas by suppressing the PRV pressure in these areas. The Big Island has shown that boJ) the transgenic and non-transgenic papayas can be grown in the same area to complement each other. We urge the County Council to reject passing this Resolution restricting the advancement of biotechnology in Hawaii. Hawaii could become the world leader in agriculture sciences and become the driving force in the state's economy. The state needs to continue to diversify its economy away from an over-reliance on tourism. Thank you for this opportunity to testify on this Resolution.