?? Da kine kama’aina company, da big kahuna fo’ chocolate-covered macadamia nuts stay beefin’ wit’ da local macadamia producers at da Legislature. Dey all talkin’ story ’bout how Hawai’i-branded products get mac nuts from oddah places an’ no say wea da nuts stay from.
Da local macadamia growers an’ processors wen’ ask da lawmakers fo’ kokua dis year, tryin’ fo’ make da state truth-in-labeling law mo’ bettah. Da new law, House Bill 1348, goin’ make ‘um mandatory fo’ say wea da mac nuts come from if da package get words o’ pictchas sayin’ da nuts stay from Hawai’i. ?️?️
Ovah 100 peeps wen’ show dea support fo’ da bill, including plenny workahs from macadamia farm an’ processing companies. But da Honolulu-based Hawaiian Host Group, da OGs of chocolate-covered mac nuts, stay callin’ da bill “defective” an’ say it goin’ make da cost of doin’ business mo’ big an’ make da prices mo’ high fo’ da customahs. ??
Da Department of Agriculture’s mana’olahia, Richard Cohen, an’ Jeffrey Clark, executive from one company dat own Hamakua Macadamia Nut Co. an’ Ka‘u Farms Management, wen’ tell da House Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs Committee ’bout how da big mac nut companies used to use on’y Hawai’i mac nuts, but now dey using mo’ mac nuts from oddah places. An’ das causing big pilikia fo’ da local farmers. ??
Da kine bill no stay callin’ out Hawaiian Host, but da main focus stay on top dem. Da big company, even though stay goin’ thru rough times wit’ da coronavirus pandemic an’ tourists no comin’, still like fo’ make sure da kama’aina farmers stay OK an’ no get rip off. ??
Da small farmer from North Hilo, Guy Ward, say he no can sell his crop fo’ mo’ den 80 cents a pound dis year. Das no enough fo’ make harvestin’ worth it, an’ stay way less dan da $1.20 per pound from befo’. ??
Da kine Hawaiian Host Group stay beefin’ wit’ da bill, sayin’ it stay flawed an’ maybe no can even enforce ‘um. Da CEO, Ed Schultz, stay talkin’ ’bout how da bill stay vague an’ hard fo’ figgah out. He stay questionin’ how da law goin’ work an’ how it goin’ affect da kine companies dat get Hawai’i in dea name o’ trademarks. ??
Da Hawaiian Host Group stay sayin’ maybe bettah fo’ make one workin’ group wit’ da growers an’ processors, instead of dis kine bill. But da House Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs Committee wen’ go vote fo’ move da bill on wit’ one small change, an’ da Department of Agriculture goin’ enforce da law if it pass. ?️?
