PRIMARY PRODUCTION AND MARKETING
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that date the Co-operative movement in Hong Kong has made rapid progress and is being accepted by an increasing number of persons, including peasant farmers and fishermen, as a sound and democratic method of improving their lot.
Inevitably, particularly among farmers and fishermen, the main weight of effort has been directed towards the physical formation of societies and towards ensuring that these are organizationally and economically sound. The next step, which can only be achieved over a period of years, will be the development of the existing societies into a fully effective co-operative movement.
An interesting development during the past three years has been the growth in the number of Co-operative Building Societies; these societies are at present formed exclusively of local pensionable officers of the Civil Service and operate with funds provided by the Government.
During 1958 thirty four additional co-operative societies were registered, bringing the total on register at the end of December to 213 societies. The societies registered in 1958 comprised one Pig Raising Society, five fishermen's Thrift and Loan Societies, one Consumer's Society and twenty seven Co-operative Building Societies. At present there are twelve different types of society and their functions and scale of operations are briefly described below: Vegetable Marketing Societies. The nineteen societies collect and market the vegetables grown by their members, and handle loans obtained for their members both from the J. E. Joseph Trust Fund and from the Vegetable Marketing Organization Loan Fund. In 1958 about 66% of locally-produced vegetables were marketed through these co-operative societies. Federation of Vegetable Marketing Societies. The Federation was established in March 1953. It has as its object the im- provement of liaison between member-societies and the under- taking of a number of activities on their behalf. Its principal and long-term aim, however, is the gradual taking over of the functions of the Vegetable Marketing Organization. Pig-Raising Societies. The thirty seven societies have as their object the provision of assistance to members in increasing pig production and particularly in the provision of credit facilities for the purchase of stock and feed.