XN000022-1976-05-12 — Page 6

WEDNESDAY, MAY 12, 1976

STEPS TO BRING MORE AGRICULTURAL LAND INTO CULTIVATION

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POSITIVE STEPS ARE BEING TAKEN BY THE GOVERNMENT TO BRING MORE AGRICULTURAL LAND INTO CULTIVATION AND TO HELP FARMERS TO INCREASE THEIR PRODUCTIVITY IN TERMS OF MARKETABLE CROPS, THE ACTING FINANCIAL SECRETARY, THE HON. DEREK JONES SAID TODAY,

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HE TOLD LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THAT THE AIM OF THE GOVERNMENT'S AGRICULTURAL POLICY, AS WITH ITS INDUSTRIAL POLICY, WAS NOT TO PROVIDE PROTECTION OR SUBSIDIES TO CUSHION THE FORCES OF THE MARKET.

+ IT IS RATHER TO ENCOURAGE PRODUCERS TO MAXIMISE PRODUCTION OF THESE CROPS WHICH CAN BE SOLD ON A COMPETITIVE BASIS WITH IMPORTS AND WHICH CAN THUS BE OF ADVANTAGE, NOT ONLY TO THEMSELVES, BUT TO THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.+

HE WAS REPLYING THE HON, JOHN BREMRIDGE WHO ASKED WHAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS PLANNING TO ENCOURAGE THE CULTIVATION OF AGRICULTURAL PLOTS WHICH ARE LYING FALLOW, AND THE MORE INTENSIVE CULTIVATION OF THOSE PLOTS PRESENTLY UNDER-UTILISED.

MR. JONES POINTED OUT THAT THERE WERE JUST OVER 30,000 ACRES OF AGRICULTURAL LAND IN HONG KONG, OF WHICH ABOUT 30 PER CENT OR ABOUT 9,000 ACRES WERE LYING FALLOW.

A FURTHER 12 PER CENT OR ABOUT 3,600 ACRES WAS UNDER-UTILISED, THAT IS, IT WAS GROWING PADDY OR FIELD CROPS INSTEAD OF VEGETABLES AND OTHER MARKET GARDEN CROPS. HE EXPLAINED THAT THE AVERAGE GROSS RETURN PER ACRE FROM VEGETABLES WAS NOW ALMOST 11 TIMES THAT FROM RICE GROWING, AND, INDEED, RICE AND OTHER FIELD CROPS WERE NOW TOTALLY UNECONOMIC TO GROW IN HONG KONG AT PRESENT COSTS OF PRODUCTION IN RELATION TO THE COST OF IMPORTS.

MOST OF THE FALLOW LAND WAS PREVIOUSLY USED FOR GROWING RICE. SOME OF IT WAS ON THE EDGES OF TOWNS AND TOWNSHIPS AND WAS NOW LARGELY IN SPECULATIVE HANDS WITH A VIEW TO SALE AT ENHANCED VALUES TO MEET URBAN DEVELOPMENT. +IN OTHER WORDS, THIS LAND IS NOW LARGELY SEMI-URBAN IN CHARACTER AND CAN HARDLY ANY LONGER BE CONSIDERED, DE FACTO, AS AGRICULTURAL LAND.+

MUCH OF THE REMAINING AREAS OF FALLOW LAND, HE SAID, WAS PERFECTLY SUITABLE FOR GROWING VEGETABLES OR FRUIT, BUT THE VILLAGERS WHO OWN IT WERE OFTEN RELUCTANT TO SWITCH TO THE MORE TECHNICALLY DEMANDING MARKET GARDEN CROPS,

+THEY ARE USUALLY NOT WILLING TO LEASE THE LAND TO IMMIGRANT FARMERS WHO ARE NOW THE MAIN VEGETABLE GROWERS AND WHO WOULD, IN MANY CASES, BE VERY READY TO CULTIVATE MORE OF THIS LAND.+

HE SAID THESE WERE CERTAINLY THE MOST PROMISING AREAS TO BRING BACK INTO CULTIVATION AND THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT WAS MAKING EVERY EFFORT TO PERSUADE THE OWNERS TO DO SO IN FIVE DIRECTIONS.

/FIRSTLY,

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