Farmers in the Hakalau area of the Hamakua Coast.

(BIVN) – The Hawaii County Council Finance Committee gave preliminary approval to provide some funding to help sweet potato research on the Big Island.

On November 1, councilmembers gave a positive recommendation to Res. 375-17, authorizing the administration to enter into an agreement with the University of Hawaii Office of Research Services, which will provide $7,999.20 from the Department of Research and Development to UH to fund its “Improving Sustainability of Sweet Potato through Virus-tested, Tissue-culture Technology” proposal.

According to officials, the funds would be used “to conduct farm trials comparing yields of sweet potatoes grown from a commercial source of cuttings with those of virus-tested, tissue-cultured planting materials, and graft plant material to multiply existing sweet potato viruses to reach detection levels.”

The resolution still the needs the vote of the full council.