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SUNDAY, MARCH 16, 1980
MORE FISH YIELDED BY LOCAL PONDS
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HONG KONG'S POND FISH FARMERS ARE BEING HELPED TO REAR MORE FISH AT LESS COST TO SUPPLY OUR TABLE.
GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE, INCLUDING LOW-INTEREST LOANS AND TECHNICAL SERVICES, ARE AVAILABLE TO HELP THEM DEVELOP THE INLAND FISH CULTURE INDUSTRY WHICH LAST YEAR YIELDED 6 540 TONNES OF FRESH WATER FISH WORTH MORE THAN $82 MILLION.
THE LOANS ARE MADE FROM THE KADOOR IE AGRICULTURAL AID LOAN FUND AND THE JE JOSEPH TRUST FUND ADMINISTERED BY THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT. THE MONEY CAN BE USED TO BUILD OR IMPROVE EXISTING FISH PONDS OR USED TO STOCK FISH FRY AND BUY FEED.
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY THAT THE AMOUNT OF LOANS DISTRIBUTED DURING THE LAST FIVE YEARS AMOUNTED TO $1.4 MILLION,
+IN THE LAST FINANCIAL YEAR ALONE, THE LOANS TOTALLED $262 500, + HE SAID, +AND IN VIEW OF THE INCREASED COST OF PRODUCTION, THE MAXIMUM LIMIT OF A SINGLE LOAN HAS BEEN RAISED FROM $5 000 TO $10 000,+
INTEREST IS CHARGED AT ONLY 4.2 TO 4.8 PER CENT PER ANNUM AND THE REPAYMENT PERIOD CAN BE AS LONG AS THREE YEARS.
APPLICATION CAN BE MADE THROUGH THE EIGHT AGRICULTURAL LIAISON OFFICES OF THE DEPARTMENT IN THE NEW TERRITORIES AND THE AU TAU FISHERY CULTURE DEVELOPMENT OFFICE IN YUEN LONG.
+TO ENSURE THAT LOANS GIVEN OUT ARE PRODUCTIVELY SPENT, THE DEPARTMENT COMPLEMENTS THE CASH PAYMENT WITH ADVICE AND TECHNICAL SERVICES TO SUPPORT THE FARMERS.
+ IN ADDITION, OFFICERS OF THE DEPARTMENT FREQUENTLY VISIT THEM THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, TO GIVE ON-THE-SPOT ADVICE ON HOW TO INCREASE YIELD AND CONTROL DISEASES, THE SPOKESMAN ADDED.
THE DEPARTMENT IS ALSO PLANNING MORE TRAINING COURSES FOR THE FARMERS IN ORDER TO IMPROVE THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND TECHNIQUES IN FISH FARMING, SOME OF THESE TECHNIQUES ARE INTRODUCED BY ITS FISH CULTURE SECTION.
THE GREATEST PROBLEM WITH POND FISH CULTURE IS LACK OF OXYGEN IN THE WATER. TO OVERCOME THIS, A SPECIALLY DESIGNED WATER MILL HAS BEEN RECOMMENDED TO THE FARMERS WHICH CONSTANTLY DRAWS AIR FROM THE ATMOSPHERE INTO THE PONDS, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
+FARMERS ARE ALSO TAUGHT HOW TO TEST AND CONTROL THE ACIDITY OF THE IR POND WATER SO THAT THE FISH CAN GROW IN THE BEST ENVIRONMENT.+
+ IF THEY FIND THE WATER TOO ACIDIC, WITH THE ADDITION OF CALCIUM CARBONATE,
IT CAN BE NEUTRALISED THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
/ALSO NEWLY