PRIMARY PRODUCTION
130
friendly moist pellet feed and have reported improvements of the fish culture environment as well as faster and healthier fish growth.
The larger vessels in Hong Kong's fishing fleet are among the most modern in the region, despite their traditional wooden hulls. The department has stepped up effort to stimulate the modernisation trend by maintaining development input and providing free advisory services on fishing vessel hull design (in particular steel hulls) and fishing methods, as well as fishing equipment.
Training classes are held for operators, covering the conventional skills required for safe and effective operation of fishing vessels as well as the use of radio telephones and electronic navigation equipment such as radar and satellite communications. The department also organises sea-fishing endorsement courses to train operators to standards required by the Marine Department for steel-hulled fishing vessels.
The department administers four loan funds servicing the fishing industry: the Fisheries Development Loan Fund, the Fish Marketing Organisation Loan Fund, the World Refugee Year Loan Fund and the Co-operative for American Relief Everywhere Loan Fund. By December 31, loans issued since the inception of the four funds totalled $316 million.
Marketing
Much of the wholesale marketing of fresh foods is conducted in wholesale markets run by the Agriculture and Fisheries Department, the Vegetable Marketing Organisation and the Fish Marketing Organisation. The Western Wholesale Food Market and the Cheung Sha Wan Wholesale Food Market Phase I are the two biggest market complexes developed and managed by the department. Each is in fact an integration of several markets. The Western Complex, for example, accommodates markets for freshwater fish, vegetables, fruit, poultry and eggs. This allows buyers to purchase a variety of fresh foods under one roof.
Apart from these market complexes, the department also operates temporary wholesale markets at North District in the New Territories for agricultural products, and at Cheung Sha Wan in Kowloon for poultry. Plans are under way for the development of Phase II of the Cheung Sha Wan Wholesale Food Market. On completion, it will reprovision the dilapidated Yau Ma Tei Fruit Market and the temporary poultry market at Cheung Sha Wan.
During the year, the government wholesale markets handled 272 140 tonnes of vegetables, 69 810 tonnes of poultry, 44 370 tonnes of freshwater fish and fisheries products, 171 780 tonnes of fruit and 60 250 tonnes of fresh and preserved eggs. The total value amounted to $5.54 billion.
The Vegetable Marketing Organisation is a financially autonomous and non-profit- making body operated under the Agricultural Products (Marketing) Ordinance, which also provides for the establishment of a Marketing Advisory Board to advise the Director of Marketing (currently the Director of Agriculture and Fisheries). Its primary function is to provide wholesale marketing facilities to vegetable farmers and wholesalers. Revenue comes from a commission on the proceeds of sales, and surpluses are ploughed back into the development of the farming industries, and scholarships for farmers' children. During the year, 239 000 tonnes of vegetables valued at $948 million were sold through the organisation at its market in Cheung Sha Wan.