(1) A Farmer's Perspective(Kau Landing - March, 1997)
(Under Construction)
"I am a family farmer...This is my home and where I intend to spend the rest of my
life. I am for an irradiation facility here precisely because it will keep our island
rural, low density and green. I am convinced that this facility can be built and run
safely while preserving our treasured environment."
(2) Position Statement: Hawaii Agricultural Promotional Association
(Under Construction)
"This is a message of hope. It is also an appeal to reason... As farmers, we are also
citizens who care for our environment. We support sound, sustainable agricultural
practices and the safety of our food supply ... We, too, want to preserve a green, rural
lifestyle throughout Hawai'i Nei."
(3) Fruit Growers Push for Irradiation Facility(Honolulu Star-Bulletin -
April 22, 1997)
http://starbulletin.com/97/04/22/news/story3.html
Hamakua farmer Tom Menezes says he has a good local market for his 25 acres of mixed
crops, but an irradiator would bring economic stability and a healthy fruit industry that
would also preserve the Big Island's rural lifestyle. "We're planting more trees.
We're not planting more asphalt."
(4) Irradiation-Hawaii's Perspective(USDA)
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/np/mba/jan96/wong.htm
"Irradiation for fruit fly has been approved by USDA since 1989 as a quarantine
treatment for papaya grown in Hawaii, but has not been implemented because we don't have a
commercial food irradiator ... this treatment offers us an opportunity to expand tropical
fruit production in Hawaii ... worth millions of dollars of new revenue for Hawaii."
(5) Irradiation-California's Perspective(USDA)
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/np/mba/jan96/luscher.htm
"CFDA supports the work of USDA and the Hawaii Department of Agriculture to irradiate
Hawaiian fruits regulated under federal quarantine."
(6) USDA To Allow Irradiation of Hawaiian Papayas in Chicago(USDA)
"We fully support Hawaii's efforts to explore alternative quarantine treatments for
their commodities ... we will examine treating other Hawaiian agricultural products such
as mangoes and lychees-currently treated with high-temperature forced air-with
irradiation."
(7) Meetings Calendar(Honolulu Star-Bulletin)
http://starbulletin.com/96/06/03/community/meetings.html
June 3, 1996: "Learn about irradiation technology, radiation sources, facilities,
doses, what happens to insects, food and plants when irradiated, purpose and application
of irradiation, and safety, consumer and policy issues."
(8) APHIS WebñAphis Activities in Hawaii:Irradiation ofHawaiian Fruits on
the Mainland(USDA)
"APHIS regulations currently allow papayas to be moved interstate from Hawaii if they
have been treated for Trifly ... Approved treatments include hot water and irradiation.
While producers prefer irradiation because it is generally less expensive and less
damaging to the fruit, there is currently no commercial irradiation facility in
Hawaii."
(9) APHIS Web - Medfly Fact Sheet(USDA)
"In 1993, APHIS estimated that annual losses attributable to the Medfly in the
continental United States would be about $1.5 billion annually if this exotic pest were to
become established. These losses would come in the form of export sanctions, lost markets,
treatment costs, reduced crop yields, deformities, and premature fruit drop."
(10) Irradiation is kinder to fruit than fumigation(Good Fruit Grower
Magazine)
"From a scientific view, irradiating cherries seems preferable to fumigating them as
a quarantine treatment. If you compare irradiation and fumigation, irradiation is much
more gentle," said Dr. Steve Drake
BACK | MORE |
