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WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 1987
+FOR THE PURPOSE OF A BETTER ENVIRONMENT, I BELIEVE THAT IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT WE SHOULD AIM AT A BALANCED DEVELOPMENT IN THE PLANNING AND APPLICATION OF LAND USE.
+APART FROM PROVIDING ENOUGH LAND FOR URBAN DEVELOPMENT, SUITABLE AREAS SHOULD BE SET ASIDE FOR AGRICULTURAL PURPOSES.+
MR TAM SAID THAT BACK IN 1979, THE LAND DEVELOPMENT POLICY COMMITTEE HAD PROPOSED IN A PAPER ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF AGRICULTURAL LAND THAT THERE SHOULD BE A CONSOLIDATED AND BALANCED DEVELOPMENT OF INDUSTRIAL, AGRICULTURAL AND RESIDENTIAL LAND.
REGARDING THE THIRD POINT, MR TAM SAID IT SEEMED TO HIM THAT AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT IN HONG KONG WAS LOOKED AT BY THE GOVERNMENT IN THE CONTEXT OF COMPETITION WITH THE IMPORT OF FARM PRODUCTS FROM CHINA.
THE GOVERNMENT CONSIDERED THAT WITH THE HIGH VALUE OF LAND IN HONG KONG AND THE LACK OF SPACE FOR AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE LONG TERM, IT WOULD BE MORE SENSIBLE TO RELY ON CHINA FOR SUPPLYING THE BULK OF THE NEED IN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS,
CONSEQUENTLY, THE EXISTENCE AND CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT OF A LOCAL AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY WAS THOUGHT TO BE UNNECESSARY.
MR TAM SAID THIS WAS A BIASED ARGUMENT AS IT OVERLOOKED THE SPECIAL CONTRIBUTION OF OUR AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY IN SUPPLYING THE TERRITORY WITH AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS WHICH, IN TERMS OF FRESHNESS AND QUALITY, WERE SUPERIOR TO ALL IMPORTED PRODUCTS AND, AS SUCH, COULD HARDLY BE REPLACED.
COMMITTEE TO REVIEW AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES POLICY URGED
*****
THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD APPOINT AS A MATTER OF URGENCY A POLICY ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO COMPREHENSIVELY REVIEW THE EXISTING ABRI CULTURAL AND FISHERIES POLICY, THE HON ANDREW WONG SUGGESTED IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
HE SAID THIS WOULD ALLOW THE SECTOR TO DEVELOP ON A FREE AND FAIR BASIS INTO REALMS OF HIGH TECHNOLOGY, AND TO MONITOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF EXISTING OR ANY NEW POLICY IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR OF OUR ECONOMY.
SPEAKING DURING THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON PRIMARY INDUSTRIES, MR WONG SAID HE PERSONALLY AGREED THAT AN ARTIFICIAL POLICY TO MAINTAIN AN EXISTING MARKET SHARE OF LOCAL PRODUCTS WAS NO LONGER NECESSARY NOR DESIRABLE IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST AS CONCLUDED BY A VALUE FOR MONEY STUDY CONDUCTED IN 1985.
/HOWEVER. HA