PRIMARY PRODUCTION AND MARKETING
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vegetable farming; an irrigation system at Sheung Shui by pump- ing water from the Indus River; and work had begun on the construction of three more impounding reservoirs of 130 million gallons total capacity at Ho Pui and Tsing Tam. In addition, seven small impounding reservoirs were repaired and more irri- gation systems installed.
Apart from these larger works the New Territories Adminis- tration has at its disposal a Local Public Works vote for which a sum of approximately one million dollars was provided during the year. As stated in Chapter 25 this vote provides funds for materials supplied to villagers for the improvement of irrigation and water supplies, the building of paths, vehicle tracks, wells, small bridges and other minor works to improve the amenities of the villages. Labour is normally supplied by the villagers them- selves except where the work is of a technical nature. New works completed during the year included 2,062 ft. of irrigation channel- ling; 7,415 ft. of drainage channelling; over 14 miles of pathway; 6,902 ft. of tracks; 11,930 ft. of kerbs; 3,106 ft. of bunds; 8,022 ft. of water pipeline; 16 wells and 13 diversion dams.
Valuable assistance both in regard to water supply and irriga- tion for farming and also in the construction of roads, paths, bridges and similar works was rendered by the Kadoorie Agricul- tural Aid Association, a philanthropic organization which asso- ciates its welfare work with Government planning and whose activities are directed in the technical field by the Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. By the end of 1959 this organi- zation had supplied sufficient cement to farmers to enable them to construct fourteen new wells, twenty one diversion dams, numerous irrigation channels totalling 62 miles in length, and eight small reservoirs. In the same period repairs were affected to twelve wells and four diversion dams. Gifts of cement and other building materials (and in some cases where the work is beyond the competence of village groups, the employment of skilled labour) have enabled village communities to construct or repair twenty miles of village paths and roads, ten piers, eleven bunds for flood control, 7,165 feet of drains, fifty eight bridges, eight sea-walls and two culverts. In 1959, 16,588 bags of cement were given for these and similar projects, bringing the total donated to date to 61,555 bags.