-6-
24
16.
17.
18.
19.
(f) MARKET TRANSPORT.
The improvement and expansion of the wholesale marketing of vegetables and of the transport involved is the pri mary aim of the Agricultural Department. A vegetable marketing organisation was established in Kowloon in September, 1946, in temporary quarters. It may be extended later to Hong Kong. The cost of construction of permanent wholesale vegetable markets will be defrayed by the Hong Kong Government. This organisation has been set up in order to ensure fair prices to producer and retailer with the object of establishing confidence and stability. It is intended that this should eventually become a Co-operative organisation independent of Government except for supervision. As these markets will not be run as profit-making enterprises, and will only produce enough revenue to pay running costs and depreciation, it has been agreed that the initial cost of purchase of the fleet of 30 lorries required should be met by a grant from the C.D. & W. allocation. Maintenance and replacement will be a charge against the organisation.
Recommendation No. 6 £18,750
(8) AGRICULTURAL STATION.
that
The establishment of an Agricultural Station in the New Territories is regarded of fundamental importance. Since the war there have been established at Sheung Shui a small pig-breeding station and an area of 3 acres devoted to trials of vegetable and fruit crops. Whilst valuabl, results have been achieved at these stations, they have proved far too small for the work is contemplated. The disused and largely barren airfield at Kam Tin of 277 acres was made available to the Department early in 1947. A part of this has been planted with experimental crops, including rice, fodder grasses, bananas, papayas, and three-quarters of the rest has been brought into rice cultivation.
It is intended gradually to develop the whole of this area into an Agricultural Station to serve several purposes including agronomy, animal husbandry, etc. and an area has been set aside as a plant introduction, maintenance and exchange station. Besides the major crop of rice, attention would be paid to secondary crops, including sugar cane and peanuts; to new crops such as sunflowers and lupins; to fodder and leguminous cover crops, and to fruit trees. The animal husbandry section would make provision for the maintenance of
stocks of cattle, pigs, goats and poultry with a view to improving local strains by breeding and selection. The veterinary work of the New Territories would also be based on this station and would include, in particular, measures to check the prevalence of rinderpest and hog cholera which are such scourges in the Colony.
Due to the fact that senior agricultural staff have not yet been appointed, it is difficult to estimate the total costs of the establishment of this station. Capital expen- diture will have to be made on buildings, water supply and roads within the station and it is recommended that a blanket grant should be made to cover this purpose.
Recommendation No. 7 - £50,000
20.