SATURDAY, JULY 2, 1977
THRIVING CO-OPERATIVE MOVEMENT IN HONG KONG
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THE CO-OPERATIVE MOVEMENT IN HONG KONG IS THRIVING, WELL LED AND NOT LACKING IN IMAGINATION, THE DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES, MR. E.H. NICHOLS SAID THIS EVENING.
MR. NICHOLS, WHO IS ALSO THE REGISTRAR OF CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES, WAS SPEAKING AT A CELEBRATION DINNER HELD TO MARK THE 55TH INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATIVE DAY TODAY.
IN A BRIEF PROGRESS REPORT ON THE LOCAL MOVEMENT, MR. NICHOLS NOTED THAT THE PAST YEAR HAD BEEN A RECORD OF PROGRESS FOR BOTH THE FARMERS' AND FISHERMEN'S SOCIETIES IN TERMS OF SURPLUSES, INCREASE OF SAVINGS, PRICES OF PRODUCE AND BUSINESS,
THE PRODUCTION OF VEGETABLES INCREASED BY 15.6 PER.CENT DURING 1976-77 AMOUNTING TO AN ESTIMATED VALUE OF $281 MILLION, HE SAID. OVER 78 PER CENT OF THE LOCAL VEGETABLES SOLD THROUGH THE VEGETABLE MARKETING ORGANISATION CAME FROM CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES.
+THE LARGEST SOCIETY HAD A TURNOVER OF OVER $9 MILLION. THIS ACHIEVEMENT WAS, TO A GREAT EXTENT, DUE TO THE BETTER MANAGEMENT BOTH ON FARMS AND IN THE INDIVIDUAL SOCIETIES,+ HE ADDED.
MR. NICHOLS POINTED OUT THAT MEMBERS OF PIG RAISING CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES TOO HAD A GOOD YEAR, WITH GENERALLY HIGH PRICES FOR PIGS AND LOWER PRICES FOR FEEDING STUFF.
+A SURVEY IN MARCH, 1977 SHOWED AN INCREASE OF 5 PER CENT OR 21,500 HEAD IN THE LOCAL PIG POPULATION AS AGAINST THE CORRESPOND ING PERIOD OF 1976,+ HE SAID.
HE SAID THIS PROGRESS REPRESENTED THE DILIGENT WORK OF PIG FARMERS AND GOOD MANAGEMENT OF MANY INDIVIDUAL SOCIETIES THROUGH WHICH MEMBERS WERE ABLE TO OBTAIN BOTH FINANCIAL AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, ALTHOUGH SEVERAL SOCIETIES WERE BEDEVILLED BY INACTIVE MEMBERS.
AS FOR THE FISHING INDUSTRY, MR. NICHOLS NOTED THAT LANDINGS THROUGH THE FISH MARKETING ORGANISATION INCREASED 3 PER CENT BY WEIGHT AND +11 PER CENT IN VALUE LAST YEAR.
+NEW BOATS BUILT AND LICENSED NUMBERED 673, 9 PER CENT FEWER THAN IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR BUT 17 AND 19 PER CENT UP IN TERMS OF CAPACITY AND ENGINE POWER, INDICATING THAT THE TREND FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF LARGER, MORE HIGHLY POWERED CRAFT HAS CONTINUED, HE SAID.
MR. NICHOLS ALSO RECORDED THAT A TOTAL OF OVER $8 MILLION WAS LOANED TO FARMERS TO MEET CREDIT NEEDS, FROM THE KADOOR IE AGRICULTURAL AID LOAN FUND AND THE J.E. JOSEPH TRUST FUND DURING 1976-77, WHILE SOME 9,602 FISH MARKETING ORGANISATION LOANS HAD BEEN ISSUED SINCE 1946 AMOUNTING TO $59.5 MILLION.
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