Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 7, Number 7, 1 Iulai 1990 — Sen. Akaka introduces bills to assist Hawaiian farmers [ARTICLE]

Sen. Akaka introduces bills to assist Hawaiian farmers

U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka is introducing two pieces of legislation to assist Hawaiian farmers. One pieee of legislation will make homestead lessees eligible for Farmers Home AHministration low interest farm-operating loans. The bill would establish a memorandum of understanding between the FmHA and the Deoartment of Hawaiian

Home Lands to allow lessees t< contract for operating 'oans. Now, lessees cannot obtain operating loans because the Home Lands iease prohibits them from using the land as collateral. The change, Akaka said, would give farmers access to much-needed loans. The second legislation is aimed at making Moloka'i "the breadbasket of Hawai'i." Akaka is seeking to establish the Moloka'i Community Based Agricultural Diversification Project. The Moloka'i Project would create a partner-

ship of the Moloka'i agriculture business eommunities, the Hawai'i Departments of Agriculture and Hawaiian Home Lands, the U.S. Soil Conservation Service and the University of Hawai'i College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources Private sector marketers will assist in market assessment and development. University researchers and faculty will help farmers to over eome management and productio' problems and

the Soil Conservation Services and the state's Departments of Agriculture and Hawaiian Home L.ands will tackle obstacles relating to regulations and resource development. During the Senate Oversight Committee hearings on the purpose clause for the Hawaiian Homes Act, at the state capital on Mav 31, the senator spoke to an audience of homesteaders and said he will introduce both bills.