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Mr. Chair, today over a year later, the farmers on Kauai are 

 still waiting for the disaster assistance that was promised to 

 them in the Fall of 1992. As of October 1993 payments for 

 Hurricane Iniki crop losses totaled only $115,000. The ASCS has 

 estimated that another $115,000 in payments will be made for 

 those applying for loses in 1993, 1994 and 1995. At the time of 

 the Hurricane it was estimated that $5 million was needed to 

 provide adequate assistance to the farmers on Kauai. 



Every delay, every barrier that has been encountered through the 

 process has brought more farmers to the brink of financial 

 bankruptcy. The farmers on the island are frustrated, angry, and 

 demoralized. 



Perhaps the most frustrating thing, for the farmers, and for me 

 as their congressional representative, is that funds were 

 promised to these farmers. Upon seeing the destruction of their 

 farms, their homes, their lives, there was this glimmer of hope 

 when the Congress passed legislation to provide assistance, to 

 help them get back on their feet and ultimately to survive this 

 crisis. Yet since that day, we have had to struggle every step 

 of the way, fighting the illogical application of the law as they 

 written, fighting inane administrative decisions, and a general 

 lack of understanding of the circumstances of our specialty crop 

 farmers. 



Mike Strong, a farmer on the Island of Kauai, who has worked 

 very hard to help his neighbors and fellow farmers receive the 

 assistance they desperately need is here today to testify about 

 the actual situation. 



Over the last decade the two largest agricultural products -- 

 sugarcane and pineapple — have been downsizing and phasing out 

 operations. Most communities in Hawaii want to retain the 

 agricultural base of their economies. Among the options is 

 diversified agriculture and increasing specialty crops. 



Specialty crops may not quickly take the place of the large 

 plantations of yesteryear, however their importance in Hawaii's 

 economy is undeniable. It is therefore, absolutely essential 

 that the Department of Agriculture and the Congress recognize 

 this fact and adjust programs to meet their needs. 



The most immediate thing that can be done for the farmers on 

 Kauai is a regulatory or legislative clarification that these 

 farmers will be eligible for crops losses as a result of dead 

 trees in 1993, 1994 and 1995. 



In addition, the crop losses as a result of a disaster should be 

 calculated in terms of a 12 month period immediately following 

 the disaster, rather than using a calendar year. 



Crop insurance for the variety of specialty crops on the Island 

 of Kauai should be provided so that farmers are covered in case 

 of disaster. 



