PRIMARY PRODUCTION AND MARKETING
93
Important experimental work is being undertaken by the Depart- ment on the selection of pure strains of local pig breeds, the cross breeding of local and exotic breeds and feeding, with emphasis on local products. The Department together with the Kadoorie Agricultural Aid Association is carrying out an important live- stock improvement plan which has as its aim the establishment of 2,000 women farmers as pig raisers using improved local sows (provided by the Government and the Association) crossed with exotic and improved local boars at boar centres provided by the Government.
Cattle. Local brown cattle and buffaloes are kept for work purposes but surplus stock is sold to butchers. The Chinese brown cattle appear to be ideally suited to the local environment and village management. The return from sales of local cattle for slaughter was in excess of $1,500,000 and sales of breeding stock were in excess of $250,000 in 1958. Over 2,740 farmers have been assisted in acquiring better-type animals either by gifts from the Kadoorie Agricultural Aid Association or by loan assistance from the Kadoorie Agricultural Aid Loan Fund, a fund started originally in 1955 by equal contributions by the Government and Messrs. Lawrence and Horace Kadoorie.
Poultry. The dependence on supplies from China of hatching eggs is one of the limiting factors in a stable poultry industry; two other principal concerns are disease control and the price of imported feed. Disease control has been greatly improved and some expansion of the industry has taken place as a result of distribution by the Department of meat meal purchased from the Kennedy Town abattoir, and by gifts of selected poultry by the Kadoorie Agricultural Aid Association. Local production of exotic strains, mostly White Leghorns, continues to increase. The total returns from poultry raising this year were probably in excess of $10,000,000.
Ducks and Geese. Ducks are raised in the wetter areas of the Colony and along the banks of streams for home consumption and export. The raising of geese for the local market has extended over the past three years. Reliable statistics on local sales are not available but a conservative estimate places the year's total in excess of $1,500,000.