TUESDAY, JULY 20, 1982
AGRICULTURE IN HONG KONG A STRATEGIC FOOD RESERVE
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AGRICULTURE IN HONG KONG ACTS AS A STRATEGIC FOOD RESERVE AND IT SHOULD CONTINUE TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY BY CAREFUL AND RATIONAL PLANNING.
THIS ASSERTION WAS GIVEN TODAY (TUESDAY) BY THE ACTING DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES, DR LAWRENCE LEE AT A LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF HONG KONG.
LAST YEAR LOCAL AGRICULTURE, WHICH PRODUCES FRESH VEGETABLES, FRESH WATER FISH, LIVE POULTRY AND PIGS, CONTRIBUTED ABOUT 30 PER CENT OF THE VALUE ($4 839 MILLION) OF ALL FRESH AGRICULTURAL FOODSTUFFS CONSUMED, DR LEE SAID.
+IN QUANTITY TERMS, LOCAL FARMERS PROVIDED 38 PER CENT OF THE FRESH VEGETABLES, 14 PER CENT OF FRESH WATER FISH, 55 PER CENT OF LIVE POULTRY AND 21 PER CENT OF LIVE PIGS.
+THESE ARE GENERALLY OF HIGHER QUALITY THAN THE IMPORTED STUFFS AS REFLECTED IN THE GENERAL HIGHER PRICES FETCHED IN THE MARKETS, HE SAID.
THE OFFICIAL POLICY IN HONG KONG TOWARDS AGRICULTURE, DR LEE SAID, IS DIRECTED TO PROVIDING SUPPORTS WHICH ARE NECESSARY FÖR ACHIEVING GREATER PRODUCTIVITY AND STABILITY OF PRODUCTION- THE MAINTENANCE OF ORDERLY MARKETING AND THE PROVISION OF ADEQUATE AGRICULTURAL CREDIT FACILITIES,
AGRICULTURE ACTS AS A STRATEGIC RESERVE IN HONG KONG ESPECIALLY WHEN SUPPLIES FROM OTHER SOURCES, INCLUDING CHINA ARE INTERRUPTED FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER, DR LEE SAID. HE CITED NATURAL DISASTERS SUCH AS EARTHQUAKE, DROUGHT AND FLOODING AS EXAMPLES FOR THE INTERRUPTION.
LOCAL SUPPLIES OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE ALSO SERVE VERY IMPORTANT PRICING FUNCTIONS IN A FREE MARKET ECONOMIC SYSTEM, DR LEE ADDED.
HE SAID: *IMPORTED SUPPLIES OF FRESH FOODSTUFFS ARE SUBJECT TO LARGE VARIATIONS IN PRICES AND IT IS HERE THAT LOCAL SUPPLIES PLAY AN IMPORTANT PART AS A PRICE STABILISER, MINIMISING THE UNDESIRABLE EFFECT OF PRICE VARIATIONS.
+LOCAL AGRICULTURE, BECAUSE OF ITS INHERENT COMPETITIVE NATURE, HELPS TO DETERMINE FAIR MARKET PRICES OF FRESH FOODSTUFFS. IN ITS ABSENCE, IT IS HIGHLY PROBABLE THAT THE PRICES OF FRESH FOODSTUFFS WOULD BE HIGHER THAN THEY ARE.+
HE ADDED THAT THE AVAILABILITY OF LOCAL SUPPLIES OF AGRICULTURAL FRESH FOODSTUFFS HELPS TO REDUCE THE BALANCE OF PAYMENT DEFICIT BY AT LEAST 10 PER CENT. IT ALSO PROVIDES EMPLOYMENT.
AND ACTIVE AGRICULTURE WAS ALSO THE BEST WAY TO EFFICIENT RURAL LAND MANAGEMENT FROM A TOWN PLANNING POINT OF VIEW, DR LEE SAID.
THE CONSERVA DI UN