PRIMARY PRODUCTION
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Straw mushroom cultivation has gained considerable popularity in recent years and at the end of 1983 there were 40 mushroom farms. The locally-produced mushroom has about a 80 per cent share of the local market.
Teams of agricultural development officers are posted by the department throughout the New Territories to deal with farming and pollution problems, and to liaise with co-operative societies and rural associations. Both credit facilities and technical advice are available to farmers and the agricultural development officers also assist them in land development and rehabilitation.
In the rural development programme during the year, more than 1 330 farmers attended farm discussion groups led by professional and technical officers from the department and 70 020 visits were made to farmers and co-operative societies. Visits were also arranged for farmers to see government experimental farms and farming projects.
Fisheries development work involves modernising fishing craft and introducing more efficient fishing gear and navigational aids. An advisory service on hull design and deck arrangement is provided for fishermen, while experiments and demonstrations are conducted to test the suitability of new fishing gear. Training classes in navigation and business management for coxwains, engineers and radio-telephone operators working on fishing boats are organised in the main fishing ports.
Education is provided for the children of fishermen at 14 schools run by the Fish Marketing Organisation. At the end of 1983, more than 3 870 children were attending these schools. A further 12 were attending other schools on scholarships awarded by the organisation.
Close contact with the fishing community is maintained through liaison with producer associations and fishermen's co-operative societies. Ten Fish Marketing Organisation liaison offices operate in the main fishing centres to provide a link with the fishermen.
Loans
Loans are available to the agricultural industry through three main loan funds: the Kadoorie Agricultural Aid Loan Fund, the J. E. Joseph Trust Fund and the Vegetable Marketing Organisation Loan Fund. All are administered through the Agriculture and Fisheries Department. By December 31, 1983, loans issued since the inception of these three funds had reached a total of $184 million. Of this, $162 million had been recovered.
As a result of the public concern over the banning of a synthetic growth promoter for chickens, both the demand for and the price of live chickens dropped significantly in June. To assist the chicken industry regain its position, special loan facilities at favourable terms were made available to hard hit chicken farmers from the Vegetable Marketing Organisa- tion Loan Fund. To meet this unexpected demand, the Vegetable Marketing Organisation injected an additional sum of $13 million into its loan fund.
The Fisheries Development Loan Fund, with a capital of $5 million, is administered by the Director of Agriculture and Fisheries specifically for developing the fishing fleet. Finance from the World Refugee Year Loan Fund for Co-operative Societies, donated by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in 1962, is also available to members of fishermen's co-operative societies. The Fish Marketing Organisation Loan Fund which has operated as a revolving loan fund since January 1, 1983, by the transfer of $13 million from the organisation's surplus and deficit account, is another important source of loan finance for fishermen. The organisation administers another revolving loan fund, financed by the Co-operative for American Relief Everywhere (CARE), specifically for shrimp fishermen. On December 31, 1983, loans issued since the inception of these four funds totalled $128 million, of which $112 million had been repaid.