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HONG KONG ANNUAL REPORT
Sketch layout and building plans for the new abattoirs at Kennedy Town and Cheung Sha Wan were received from the consultants in the United Kingdom and the main problems were satisfactorily resolved. It became evident, however, that some of the statistics, on which the basic plans had been conceived, were already out-of-date and that certain changes would have to be made in the plans.
The by-products plant functioned efficiently and produced some 147 tons of meat and bone meal and nearly 126 tons of animal grease, both of which were well received in the local market.
Hawkers and Markets. In the interests of public health, legisla- tion to control the sale of meat, fish, poultry, fruit and vegetables has been in force for many years. In the early days, it was con- sidered that standards of hygiene could only be satisfactorily con- trolled if these commodities were sold from stalls in Government retail markets of which there were 42 at the end of the year. Present policy is not to confine the sale of these commodities to markets but to allow freely the sale of fruit and vegetables by hawkers and the sale of other fresh commodities under licence in shops, so long as these shops meet the conditions laid down by law. The trade in fish, meat and poultry is no longer exclusively confined to market premises and new shops are continually opening in areas where they are needed. The building of markets in newly developed areas is therefore regarded as less important than the reconstruction of some of the older, congested market buildings. Twelve of these are due to receive attention, and details of accom- modation for most of these were prepared during the year. Plan- ning of the first of these markets at So Kon Po reached the stage where revised sketch plans from the architect were under study. It is estimated that this market will cost $1,000,000.
At the beginning of the year, the temporary market on the island of Ap Lei Chau was provided with a roof. Opportunity was also taken to re-arrange the stalls to give the market a neater appear- ance. The Tung Tau Village market was moved from its old site at the end of August and re-established nearby in order to permit the construction of a resettlement estate. In October, a market in Hing Wah Village, Chai Wan, was resited to permit the construc- tion of a new road.