XN000022-1978-02-22 — Page 5

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1978

PROBLEM OF PIG WAS TES

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MORE THAN 130,000 TONNES OF LOCAL RESTAURANT FOOD WASTES ARE BEING FED TO PIGS IN HONG KONG EACH YEAR.

AND

THIS WAS STATED TODAY BY THE DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE FISHERIES, MR. TED NICHOLS, AT THE SPRING DINNER OF THE FEDERATION OF PIG RAISING CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES.

HE SAID THAT IF IT HAD NOT BEEN FOR THE PIGS TO CONSUME THE LEFT-OVER RESTAURANT FOOD, THERE COULD HAVE BEEN +INTRACTABLE PROBLEMS OF WASTE DISPOSAL. +

HOWEVER, ALTHOUGH THE PIGS HAVE HELPED SOLVE THE PROBLEMS OF RESTAURANT FOOD WASTES, THEY CREATED ANOTHER PROBLEM REGARDING THE DISPOSAL OF PIG MANURE AND EFFLUENT.

+IN FUTURE, MR. NICHOLS WARNED, THERE IS ANOTHER CHALLENGE WHICH WILL GROW IN MAGNITUDE. THE NEED FOR SATISFACTORY DISPOSAL OF PIG MANURE AND EFFLUENT WITHOUT DETERIORATION TO THE QUALITY OF THE RURAL ENVIRONMENT.

+ONE CAN FORESEE LEGISLATION WHICH, WHILST INITIALLY APPEARI NG TO BE SOMEWHAT STRINGENT IN ITS EFFECTS, NEED NOT HOWEVER PROVOKE THE ADVERSE REACTIONS WHICH SEEM TO BE IMPLICIT.

+1 WISH TO GIVE THE INDUSTRY DUE NOTICE OF THIS POTENTIAL PROBLEM AREA AND TO ADVISE THAT, WHILST WE AS A DEPARTMENT ARE ALREADY WORKING ON THE PROBLEM, OUR EFFORTS WILL BE IN VAIN IF WE DO NOT HAVE THE ADVICE AND SUPPORT OF ALL THOSE IN THE PIG RAISING

INDUSTRY, + SAID MR. NICHOLS.

IN HONG KONG THERE ARE ABOUT 3,500 PIG PRODUCTION UNITS WHICH PROVIDE ABOUT 15 PER CENT OF THE TERRITORY'S PORK SUPPLY,

MR. NICHOLS SAID THAT IN CASH TERMS THIS SECTOR OF THE AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRY WAS VALUED AT ABOUT $170 MILLION ...+ A VERY USEFUL FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION TO OUR ECONOMY.+

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