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? JPN-08-2008 10:57 From:TROPICRL HRWRIIRN 18089667367 To:808 961 8912 P.:.
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TROPICAL
HAWAIIAN PRODUCTS _ 20 A 8 RM In 5? _
CC)lJ! ' - C:-.-7; 11 11 , Keaau, HaN 96749
COUNT,, K kO, ;I) Phone (808) 9E8.7435
Fax (806) 8667267
Date: January 7, 2008
Chairman Bob Jacobsen
Hawaii County Council
Committee on Environment management
Hilo, Hawaii 96720
Re: Res. 463-08, A resolution Supporting HB 1577 hdl to Temporarily
Prohibit the Growing of Genetically Modified Coffee for a Period of 5 Years,
at the same time, Permit Research in an Environmentally Secure Facility.
Dear Chairman Jacobsen and Members of the Committee on Environment
Management:
VERY STRONGLY OPPOSE.
My name is Loren Mochida, General Manager of Tropical Hawaiian Products (THP)
in Keaau, Hawaii. THP is a processor and exporter of Hawaiian Premiam papayas
to CONUS and Japan. THP represents approximately 70 individual growers in the
Puna District.
Research and approvals of all biotechnology crops takes years to complete. This i,s
done to ensure the integrity of the crop and insure that it is safe to the environmern
and consumers, Should a virus or disease devastate a crop in Hawaii, it resistant
variety could be standing by to continue the production.
Common sense will show that stopping all research and. testing (including field
tests) of biotech crops can be injurious to those particular commodities. It would nol
be practical for research and testing to start when devastation of a crop takes place.
It is not a smart business decision;
Were it not for researchers with vision in Hawaii studying the Papaya Ring Spot
Virus PRSV) in the early eighties, there could have been no papaya industry in
Hawaii. After the PRSV hit the largest papaya growing area and devastated the
industry in the mid nineties, approval for field-testing of the transgenic papayas
had already been planted.
fi pant. No. We
Ref. Te, haaw E
RA DWO JAN R _Zoats
To:808 961 8912 P L''2
JAN-06-2008 10:57 From:TROPICFiL HRWRIIRN 18089667367
The Papaya Growers today are reviving their fields and once again making a profit.
Papaya Growers in the state have already chosen whether they want to produce by
biotechnology, conventional, or organic- They have a choice.
We urge the committee seriously consider the consequences of prohibiting
advancement of any crops in Hawaii County or for that matter the State of Hawaii.
We ask the Res. 462.08 be held in committee. Thank you for the opportunity to
present testimony.
Sincerely,
Loren Mochida
General Manager