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Thursday, March 16, 1972
"I find again in this year's Budget, although the Department's
total expenditure had gone up by 21 per cent to $22 million, the money
allocated for research and development had remained the same as last year,
and in some cases the amount is even less than last year, " he said.
Quoting figures from the Department's report, Mr. Lo said that
production of pigs, chickens, ducks and vegetables for the past two years remained
almost constant whereas there was no increase at all in the production
of marine fish as compared to an average increase of five per cent between
1960 and 1965 and four per cent between 1965 and 1970.
Research
He pointed out that the increasing demand without the corresponding
increase in supply had made the price go up by 17 per cent in last year alone.
"We should speed up our fishery research in order to guide fishermen
to better fishing grounds, and to introduce more efficient fishing vessels
which the Department is doing at the moment in a small way.
"We should teach our young fishermen modern fishing techniques
which their own parents are unable to teach them, he said.
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