Senate panel votes to confirm agriculture heads

Sharon Hurd, appointed by Gov. Josh Green to head the state Department of Agriculture, is one step closer to confirmation after a positive reception at a Senate hearing last week.

The Senate Committee on Agriculture and Environment on Monday voted unanimously to confirm Hurd and Deputy Director Morris Atta, with full Senate approval the next step.

“I think this whole building wants you to make agriculture shine. … I’m ready to fully support you,” state Sen. Herbert “Tim” Richards III (D, North Hilo-Waimea-North Kona), committee vice chair, told Hurd.

She indicated her support for local agriculture because of what she said was the difficult, thankless job of local producers.

“Farmers and ranchers are precious treasures,” Hurd said. “They work when no one is watching. They work early, late, rain, heat — these are the normal conditions for them … and they take on the risks of farming to produce food.”

When asked about her priorities, Hurd replied, “moving agriculture toward commercial production,” since farms need to be profitable in order to be sustainable.

The favorable backing from lawmakers was in contrast to Hurd’s rocky showing at a Jan. 11 informational meeting in front of the Senate’s Committee on Ways and Means, led by Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz (D, Mililani-Wahiawa- Whitmore Village). At that time, Hurd was rebuked for being unprepared for the meeting and discussing the various issues facing the Agriculture Department.

Dela Cruz, committee chair, rescheduled the meeting so Hurd could regroup.

Hurd also received support at Monday’s hearing from many stakeholders in local agriculture. She and Atta together received close to 300 written testimonials from the public, all but one in favor of their confirmations. Many testifiers noted the pair’s expertise and eagerness to improve local agriculture.

Hurd has worked for the Department of Agriculture since 2007, according to her resume, specializing in “procurement, grant administration and contracting procedures.”

Atta has worked as the agency’s deputy director since 2019, wearing multiple hats during his time there.

Some of the issues committee members brought up Monday included biosecurity; the transfer of pasture land between the Agriculture Department and the state Department of Land and Natural Resources via Act 90; and the sliver of funding in the state’s annual operating budget — generally less than 0.5% — allotted for the agency.