efforts to deter them, Hong Kong's fishermen continued throughout to keep the markets supplied with marine fish, which went a long way to redress the reduction in protein foods imported from China.
92. While there was at no time an inadequate supply of food, the shortages had a considerable effect on prices particularly for meat, vegetables and eggs. As one commodity became scarce the demand for other available commodities increased and prices rose. The index for the food element of the Consumer Price Index rose from 110 in May to 140 in September and then started to fall away reaching 119 in November. The price of rice was unaffected; offtakes from stocks predictably increased but were rapidly replenished. An indication of the effect of these disturbances on the cost of living is given in the table at Appendix IV.
93. Importers of food from other parts of the world were informed of the diminution of supplies from China, and a special mission was sent to investigate the possibility of obtaining increased supplies from Japan, South Korea and Okinawa. The rise in prices encouraged importers to bring in additional quantities from Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia and Cambodia; by the beginning of September these addi- tional supplies of live cattle and pigs were becoming significant. At the same time Hong Kong's farmers made considerable efforts to increase the local supply of poultry, pigs, eggs and vegetables.
94. The situation in Kwangtung in September was still unsettled; indeed some reports reaching Hong Kong at the time described it as chaotic. It was however clear that, despite these difficulties, intensive efforts were being made to resume the normal export of foodstuffs to Hong Kong as soon as possible. The communists attempted to place the blame for shortages on the closure of the border bridge at Man Kam To* which is used for supplies coming by road from China, although it was obvious (as can be seen from Appendix II) that only a small proportion of normal supplies come by this route. The port 'strike' was also blamed although the port was fully capable of accept- ing the cargoes which arrived. Supplies improved quite rapidly, although somewhat erratically, just before the Mid Autumn festival on 18th September which always gives rise to a heavy demand for traditional foodstuffs. This improvement possibly reflected the appreciation by local communists that the shortage of food and its effect on the general
* See paragraphs 111 and 114.
29