Bill Text: HI SCR118 | 2019 | Regular Session | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Requesting The Department Of Agriculture To Designate Areas In Each County For Dairy Operations And Develop Incentives To Increase Dairy Operations In The State.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2019-04-15 - Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on FIN with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Eli, Gates, Holt, Nakamura excused (4). [SCR118 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2019-SCR118-Introduced.html

THE SENATE

S.C.R. NO.

118

THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2019

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

Requesting the Department of Agriculture to designate areas in each county for dairy operations and develop incentives to attract dairy operators to the state.

 

 


     WHEREAS, peak milk production in the State was at one hundred sixty million pounds in 1988, but by 2006, production declined by more than sixty-four percent to fifty-seven million pounds; and

 

     WHEREAS, milk production in the State in 2017 was 1.75 million gallons, which equates to just over fifteen million pounds; and

 

     WHEREAS, the demise of Hawaii's dairies stemmed from the higher cost of local milk production and loss of market presence due to competitive, low-cost imported milk from the mainland United States; and

 

     WHEREAS, local dairy operators face several challenges to the local production of milk, including high costs and environmental challenges; and

 

     WHEREAS, the State only has two dairies currently operating and one of those dairies intends to shut down its operations in spring 2019; and

 

     WHEREAS, the State lacks a local animal feed producer, which necessitates the importation of feed by local dairy operators and ranchers; and

 

     WHEREAS, bad weather and mechanical issues on cargo ships caused milk delivery delays and left some store shelves empty the first week in March of 2019; and

 

     WHEREAS, dairy shortages highlight the need for the State to increase its local food production; and

 

     WHEREAS, local dairies can help reduce the State's reliance on imported milk; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirtieth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2019, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Department of Agriculture is requested to designate areas in each county for dairy operations and develop incentives to attract dairy operators to the State; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Agriculture is requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations, including a map and explanation of areas in each county to be designated for dairy operations and proposed incentives to attract dairy operators to the State, and any proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2020; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor and Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture.

 

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Report Title: 

Department of Agriculture; Dairy Operations; Imported Milk; Local Food Production

feedback