HONG KONG ANNUAL REPORT, 1952
Co-operatives
The main work of the Co-operative Division, which started operation in 1951, has been concentrated on the primary producer, the fishermen and the farmers. During the year, 7 new co-operative societies were registered. Progress has been mainly with the vegetable farmers and it is worthy of note that over 35% of the total vegetable produce of the Colony is now handled through the Co-operative Societies and Collecting Centres (embryo co-operative societies). Other societies registered include three boar service societies, an irrigation society and a fishermen's thrift and loan society.
The boar service societies are proving to be quite popular and many other groups of local pig breeders have shown interest in forming societies of their own. The Agricultural Department helped by supplying boars free of charge.
The irrigation society, which has been started by Fanling farmers, is expected to be the forerunner of many such societies but its value to the farming popula- tion will not be apparent until the arrival of the usual drought period in the Spring.
The fostering of co-operation among the fishermen is proving to be difficult. This is chiefly because, at the moment, the fishing community is far from stable and not until international conditions settle down can any large scale improvement be expected. A credit society, however, has been registered and it is expected that groups of fishermen in other fishing villages will follow closely the progress of this society which the Taipo purse-seiner fishermen have formed.
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