HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0271.241 2012-2014 Murashige, Laura
From: Mark Crowell [mcrowell @beihawaii.com]
Sent: Monday, May 13, 2013 12:54 PM
To: counciltestimony @co.hawaii.hi.us
Cc: Miyasaka, Susan
Subject: Bill 79
l'sar Hawaii County Council members,
My name is Mark Crowell . I 'm a sales representative for BEI Hawaii . I sell Ag Chemicals
nd Fertilizers to our local farmers. I 'm an alumni of UH Hilo College of Agriculture.
This proposed Bill 79 to deny Big Island farmers the choice of using improved seeds does
not make sense to me.
It must be very clear to you all that the Papaya Ringsoot Virus made it impossible to have
commercial Papaya production in Puna. I remember the growers from Puna attempting to grow
Lh:eir Kapoho Solo Papayas in the Hilo coast area and having limited success . Fortunately,
CH Researchers were able extract genes from a tolerant plant and implant them into another
with good quality fruit . The Puna farmers were able to return home to grow Papaw where
grows best .
:gill. 79 acknowledges that this GMO Papaya project was successful and is willing to give it
tr. exemption (with restrictions) .
across the board, it would deny any other CYO crops in. Hawaii County.
So, the message this Bill 79 sends is: "we believe that GMO Papaya is safe and is not a
' treat to the people of our county, but we want to deny any further use of GMO crops in
cur county (because we believe they are a threat to the health and safety of the pubtic) " .
'm having trouble understanding this.
don' t think we need this law.
-mc-
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