XN000022-1974-09-17 — Page 3

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1974

THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF SPRINKLERS THE ROTARY SPRINKLER AND THE FIXED HEAD SPRINKLER. THE ROTARY SPRINKLER SENDS OUT ONE JET OF WATER WHILE ITS HEAD ROTATES 360 DEGREES TO, COVER THE ENTIRE SURROUNDING AREA, WHEREAS THE FIXED HEAD SPRINKLER GIVES OFF A SHOWER IN ALL DIRECTIONS IN A CIRCLE TO WATER THE AREA WITHIN ITS RADIUS.

+ON MANY FARMS THE WORKERS ARE STILL USING THE OLD METHOD OF BUCKETS AND MANUAL LABOUR TO WATER THE CROPS. THIS IS TIME CONSUMING AND THEREFORE UNECONOMICAL, ESPECIALLY WITH THE RECENT SHARP INCREASE IN LABOUR COSTS,+ THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

TO OPERATE THE SPRINKLER SYSTEM THERE ARE TWO WAYS TO BUILD UP THE WATER PRESSURE, AND HE AGAIN STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF CO-OPERATION AMONG THE FARMERS IN THIS RESPECT.

IN THE FIRST METHOD THE FARMERS CAN INSTALL INDIVIDUAL PUMPS. WITH THE SIZE OF THE FARMS PLUS THE IRREGULAR-SHAPED PLOTS, IT IS NOT PRACTICAL FOR A FARMER TO INSTALL A PUMP BY HIMSELF. +CHANCES ARE HE WILL ONLY USE IT FOR HALF-AN-HOUR OR ONE HOUR EACH DAY,+ THE SPOKESMAN SAID, AND IT WOULD MAKE MORE SENSE IF SEVERAL NEIGHBOURING FARMERS WERE TO SHARE A PUMP, THUS REDUCING THE COST.+

+BUT THE MAJORITY OF HONG KONG FARMERS ARE TOO INDEPENDENT TO ACCEPT THIS CONCEPT, AND I THINK IT WILL TAKE SOME TIME BEFORE THEY ARE RECONCILED TO THE IDEA.+

SECONDLY, WHERE THE RESERVOIRS ARE SITUATED HIGH ON A HILL, THERE WILL BE SUFFICIENT PRESSURE AVAILABLE TO OPERATE THE SPRINKLER SYSTEMS FROM WATER PIPED TO THE FIELDS.

THE SPOKESMAN EXPLAINED THAT +HERE AGAIN CO-OPERATION AND CONSIDERATION ARE NECESSARY BECAUSE THE PRESSURE CANNOT BE MAINTAINED IF EVERYONE TURNED ON THEIR SYSTEM AT THE SAME TIME.+

AN EXTENSIVE IRRIGATION SYSTEM IS BEING BUILT ON THE SAI KUNG PENINSULA AT A COST OF SOME $7 MILLION IN CONNECTION WITH THE HIGH ISLAND WATER SCHEME. THE INITIAL PLANNING BEGAN AS EARLY AS 1969, AND THE WHOLE PROJECT IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED IN 1975.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT ONCE AN IRRIGATION SYSTEM WAS BUILT IT MUST BE MAINTAINED. HE NOTED THAT MAINTENANCE COSTS HAD GONE UP IN THE LAST FEW YEARS DUE TO THE RECENT WIDESPREAD DEVELOPMENT OF IRRIGATION SYSTEMS IN CONJUNCTION WITH VARIOUS MAJOR WATER PROJECTS SUCH AS THE PLOVER COVE RESERVOIR. APART FROM THE DAILY WEAR AND TEAR, A LOT OF DAMAGE COULD BE DONE BY TYPHOONS AND FLOODS FOLLOWING RAINSTORMS, HE ADDED.

A TOTAL OF $250,000 HAS BEEN ALLOCATED FOR MAINTENANCE PROGRAMMES IN THE CURRENT FINANCIAL YEAR, COMPARED WITH ONLY $90,000 TWO YEARS AGO.

NOTE TO EDITORS:

PHOTOGRAPHS ILLUSTRATING THE OLD AND NEW WATERING SYSTEMS ON N.T. FARMS ARE AVAILABLE FOR COLLECTION FROM THE GIS PRESS ROOM. 6TH FLOOR, BEACONSFIELD HOUSE.

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