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WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 1987
A TOTAL OF 1 034 LOANS VALUED AT $13.8 MILLION WERE GRANTED FROM THREE LOAN FUNDS AVAILABLE TO PROVIDE WORKING CAPITAL FOR FARMERS.
THE USE OF MODERN TECHNIQUES AND EQUIPMENT LED TO A GREAT IMPROVEMENT IN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY, AND THE AVERAGE YIELD OF VEGETABLES PER YEAR WAS NOW ABOUT 67 TONNES PER HECTARES OF CULTIVATED LAND AS COMPARED WITH 48 TONNES IN 1961.
ON SUGGESTIONS THAT ECONOMIC PLANTS AND OTHER AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES BE PERMITTED WITHIN COUNTRY PARKS, MR YAXLEY SAID THIS WAS INDEED THE CASE.
TURNING TO THE FISHERIES SECTOR, MR YAXLEY SAID IT CONTRIBUTED OVER HALF OF THE LOCAL CONSUMPTION WITH AN EXPORT OF 41 510 TONNES LAST YEAR.
THE GOVERNMENT PROVIDED TECHNOLOGICAL AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO LOCAL FISHERMEN IN THE FORM OF TRAINING COURSES, TECHNICAL ADVICE AND SERVICES.
HE SAID THE AIM WAS TO ASSIST THE INDUSTRY TO DIVERSIFY AND EXTEND FISHING GROUNDS, MODERNISE THE FLEET, UPGRADE POST-HARVEST TECHNOLOGY, IMPROVE FISH FARM MANAGEMENT AND MAINTAIN ORDERLY MARKETING.
IN 1986, A TOTAL OF 101 LOANS VALUED AT $6.6 MILLION WERE ISSUED FROM THE LOAN FUNDS.
IN THE CAPTURE FISHING INDUSTRY, THERE WERE 4 700 VESSELS WITH SOME 23 700 FISHERMEN, YIELDING 205 476 TONNES OF FISH IN 1986, MR YAXLEY SAID.
+SINCE 1976, MARINE FISH PRODUCTION HAS INCREASED BY 36 PER CENT NOTWITHSTANDING THE FACT THAT NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES HAVE BANNED OUR FISHERMEN FROM CERTAIN COASTAL WATERS.+
HONG KONG'S FISHING INDUSTRY WAS STILL SHORT OF THE CAPACITY TO ENGAGE IN DISTANT-SEA FISHING WHICH DEMANDED HEAVY CAPITAL INVESTMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURAL BACK-UP, MR YAXLEY ADDED.
HE SAIDI +AT PRESENT, OUR DEMAND FOR FISH PRODUCE DOES NOT REQUIRE CATCHES WHICH WILL JUSTIFY LARGE-SCALE, DEEP SEA FISHING OPERATION.+
MR YAXLEY SAID HE AGREED WITH MR WONG PO-YAN THAT THIS TYPE OF FISHING HAD POTENTIAL FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT AND THE GOVERNMENT WOULD CONSIDER WHAT FURTHER ASSISTANCE SHOULD BE PROVIDED.
ON AQUACULTURE, MR YAXLEY SAID THERE WERE AT PRESENT 28 DESIGNATED FISH CULTURE ZONES WITH A TOTAL AREA OF 158 HECTARES.
/HE SAID: