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PRIMARY PRODUCTION
The organization has established depots in the main vegetable cultivation areas of the New Territories. From these depots, and from vegetable marketing co-operative societies, vegetables are collected daily by the organization's transport fleet and hired commercial vehicles and taken to the central wholesale market in Kowloon where two sales are held every day. The sales are con- ducted by the organization.
The organization is a non-profit-making concern and obtains its revenue from a 10 per cent commission on sales in the Cheung Sha Wan wholesale vegetable market. Vegetables are sold in the market by the organization but with considerable practical assistance given by the vegetable marketing co-operative societies which now handle 80 per cent of local production. Thirty per cent of this commission is therefore refunded to the marketing co-operative societies in recognition of the marketing responsibilities they assume in respect of their own produce. Sales are by negotiation rather than auction since up to 30,000 separate lots a day may be sold to nearly 3,000 buyers, making sales by auction impracticable.
FISH PONDS
Fish ponds are still increasing and now cover 1,720 acres, mostly along the Deep Bay coastline near Yuen Long. The most important species reared is grey mullet which requires water with a salinity above 0.1 per cent. Fry are found in local coastal waters in February and March. Fry of four other important species-silver carp, grass carp, big head and mud carp-were obtained from China between May and August, about 4.8 million being imported. Common carp and edible goldfish are bred locally and some 1,850,000 and 550,000 fry were raised respectively to meet trade requirements. Edible goldfish require fresh water (less than 0.4 per cent salinity), while common carp tolerate up to 1.0 per cent salinity. Total pond fish production for the year was estimated at 850 tons, valued at some $3.3 million, which represented about 3.14 per cent of the local consumption of pond fish. Fry of various species re-exported during the year totalled 2.5 million.
ANIMAL INDUSTRIES
Since there is insufficient land for extensive grazing, pigs and poultry are the principal animals reared in the Colony for food;