8
TUESDAY, JANUARY 9, 1990
AND
THE BUYERS CAME FROM LEADING SUPERMARKET, RESTAURANT FAST-FOOD CATERER CHAINS. AMONG THEM WERE ALSO MAJOR VEGETABLE IMPORTERS AND HOTEL SUPPLIERS.
THEY ACTIVELY
TOOK PART IN DISCUSSIONS AND MADE POSITIVE SUGGESTIONS ON THE 120 VARIETIES OF ABOUT 30 VEGETABLE TYPES DEMONSTRATED IN THE FIELDS OF THE TAI LUNG STATION.
"EXOTIC VEGETABLES SHOULD HAVE BEEN PRODUCTION LONG AGO, ONE BUYER REMARKED.
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INTRODUCED FOR LOCAL
THEY GENERALLY AGREED THAT EXOTIC VEGETABLES GROWN LOCALLY COULD HELP SOLVE PROBLEMS FACED BY IMPORTERS.
THESE PROBLEMS INCLUDE INSTABILITY IN VEGETABLE PRICES DUE TO FLUCTUATIONS IN THE EXCHANGE RATES OF FOREIGN CURRENCIES, UNSTEADY SUPPLY DUE TO WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LOCAL DEMAND IN THE EXPORTING COUNTRIES, HIGH FREIGHT COSTS AND DAMAGE OF THE PRODUCTS DURING TRANSPORTATION.
THE SENIOR MANAGER
OF THE VEGETABLE MARKETING ORGANISATION (VMO), MR EDWARD LAI, SAID THAT IN 1988, HONG KONG IMPORTED 113,000 TONNES OR $550.7 MILLION WORTH OF EXOTIC VEGETABLES FROM THE UNITED
STATES, AUSTRALIA, TAIWAN, THE NETHERLANDS, BELGIUM AND OTHER
COUNTRIES.
"OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, THE AVERAGE IMPORT PRICE OF THE EXOTIC VEGETABLES WAS AROUND $4.8 PER KILOGRAM AND WHOLESALE PRICES WERE MUCH HIGHER," MR LAI NOTED.
HE ADDED THAT THE VMO COULD PLAY A MIDDLE-MAN'S PROJECT BY UNDERTAKING LIAISON AND PROMOTION WORK SERVICES IN THE PACKAGING AND TRANSPORTATION EXOTIC VEGETABLES,
OF
AND THE
ROLE IN THE BY PROVIDING LOCALLY-GROWN
THE VMO FOR THE
"THE BUYERS CAN SIMPLY SIGN CONTRACTS WITH SUPPLY OF EXOTIC VEGETABLES AND WE CAN COLLECT THE PROCEEDS ON BEHALF OF THE PRODUCERS, HE SAID.
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VEGETABLES PRODUCED LOCALLY MUST VMO, THE PRIMARY FUNCTIONS OF MARKETING SYSTEM FOR
THE AND EFFICIENT
UNDER THE LAWS OF HONG KONG, BE SOLD THROUGH THE MARKETS OF WHICH IS TO PROVIDE AN ORDERLY FARMERS AND BUYERS.
PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS OF THE FEEDBACK FROM THERE WAS MARKET POTENTIAL FOR MOST OF THE DEMONSTRATED ALTHOUGH IMPROVEMENTS WERE NEEDED HARVEST AND PACKAGING OF THE PRODUCE IN ORDER TO DEMANDS, AFD'S AGRICULTURAL OFFICER IN CHARGE OF KOON-YU, POINTED OUT.
BUYERS SHOWED THAT 30 VEGETABLE TYPES IN THE TIMING OF CATER TO UP-MARKET THE PROJECT, MR HO
HE SAID THERE WAS AN OBVIOUS TREND THAT DIFFERENT GROUPS OF BUYERS TOOK TO DIFFERENT SPECIES. FOR INSTANCE, THE SNAP PEAS, WHICH IS USED IN HOT CHINESE DISHES IN BANQUETS, WAS WELCOMED BY CHINESE RESTAURANT BUYERS.
/THE HOTEL
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