PRODUCTION AND MARKETING
will be greatly increased. Improvements in animal husbandry, particularly breeding and feeding, disease control, the provision of boar centres and organized extension work among farmers are already beginning to have an effect upon this important farming industry.
Minor Livestock Products. Large numbers of eggs are produced in the Colony by farmers and poultry breeders from both local and imported breeds of poultry, and there is a large demand for poultry meat. There is also a big overseas demand for dried and smoked ducks and preserved eggs, and the increase of duck raising in the New Territories to meet this demand was an important development in 1954.
The meat consumed in the Colony is mainly imported and during the last quarter of the year greatly increased numbers of pigs from China passed through the slaughterhouse and for the first time, for many years large numbers of beef cattle from China were available. Prices of livestock products are greatly affected by the supply of slaughter stock and rice bran from China. Returns to farmers were fair with a tendency to fall by the end of the year.
Animal Diseases. Foot and Mouth disease made its first appearance in the Colony and the outbreak is described in Chapter 9. Serious losses from Newcastle and other diseases occurred in poultry and in pig stock from contagious abortion, but it is hoped that the transfer of veterinary staff from the Urban Services Department will enable the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry to control these diseases. A veterinary laboratory equipped for diagnostic work has been set up at the Lai Chi Kok headquarters of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
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