The House Committee on Water & Land voted out SB1374 today and now the bill heads to the Committee on Agriculture. Along with my Senate colleagues, I introduced this bill last session as we acknowledged the urgency to purchase prime agricultural lands for food production. I am pleased
to see our colleagues in the House share our concerns regarding the future of these ag lands and are moving this bill forward.
Agriculture was the economic mainstay of the central Oahu plains not too long ago. This industry, specifically sugar cane and pineapple, had a greater stake in how and where communities grew. However, in 1996, the Waialua Sugar Mill closed, and in 2008, Del Monte fresh produce ended operations. What remains are several thousand acres of agricultural lands that is in diversified agricultural production on short-term leases or left fallow.
Dole Food Company, Inc., has listed over eighteen thousand acres of land for sale on Oahu between the area of central Oahu and the north shore of which several thousand acres are prime ag lands. The estimated costs to buy all the prime ag land is between $75 - $150 million. An option to acquire these lands would be through a land exchange.
Over the past years, the State has made it a priority to shift toward sustainability in agriculture and decrease our food imports. The state has a tremendous opportunity to acquire a significant amount of prime ag land to help support our local ag industry.
I ask for your support and to please submit testimony on SB1374 by clicking below.
