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PRIMARY PRODUCTION
and private afforestation is still relatively unimportant. The New Territories Administration is responsible for land tenure and certain aspects of land development in the New Territories.
Afforestation is directed primarily towards soil and water con- servation within the Colony's watersheds. Forest produce occupies a secondary and incidental role. In the immediate post-war years considerable emphasis was placed upon the establishment and im- provement of village plantations, principally for the production of firewood, but a progressive change over to other forms of fuel has now rendered this aspect unimportant.
In seeking to increase production and improve the economic status of farmers, the Agriculture and Fisheries Department en- courages diversified production to mitigate the effects of seasonal market 'gluts' and trade recessions. Loans are available to farmers through the Kadoorie Agricultural Aid Loan Fund, started in 1955 by the government and two Hong Kong businessmen, Messrs Lawrence and Horace Kadoorie. The fund is administered by the Agriculture and Fisheries Department, whose Director is the trustee and chairman of the Kadoorie Agricultural Aid_Loan Fund Committee. Loans are also available for farmers through the J. E. Joseph Trust Fund, the Vegetable Marketing Organization Loan Fund, and through the World Refugee Year Loan Fund. The Kadoorie Agricultural Aid Association, a philanthropic organi- zation also founded by the Kadoorie brothers, makes grants to farmers who cannot find enough capital on their own. The general policy of the association is to help those who are prepared to help themselves and, although not a government-sponsored organization, it works closely with the Agriculture and Fisheries Department which offers technical assistance and advice to it and to similar organizations concerned with the rural community.
In the rural education programme this year, over 600 farmers attended discussion groups led by professional and technical officers from the department. A restricted programme of formal training was also carried out in which 127 farmers and farmers' sons and daughters received vocational training in a wide variety of subjects. Over 130,000 visits were made to farmers by both professional and technical officers during the year. Farmers also visited government experimental stations and farming projects.