XN000022-1978-09-02 — Page 7

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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1978

PLASTIC NETHOUSES SAVE LOCAL CROPS

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NEW TERRITORIES FARMERS, WHOSE CROPS WERE SEVERELY DAMAGED RECENTLY BY SEVERE TROPICAL STORM AGNES, ARE NOW TURNING THE IR ATTENTION TO A SOPHISTICATED FORM OF CROP PROTECTION -THE INSTALLATION OF PLASTIC NETHOUSES.

ACCORDING TO THE SENIOR AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT OFFICER OF THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT, MR. T.C. CHAU, ABOUT 50 PER CENT OF HONG KONG'S VEGETABLE CROPS WERE DAMAGED AS A DIRECT RESULT OF AGNES.

+BUT CROPS AND SEEDLINGS WHICH WERE GROWING IN DEMONSTRATION PLASTIC NETHOUSES SURVIVED AGNES VERY WELL, HE SAID.

AFTER FOUR YEARS OF INTENSE TRAILS UNDER ALL WEATHER CONDITIONS, THE DEPARTMENT HAS FOUND THAT THE NETHOUSES CAN EFFECTIVELY PROTECT CROPS FROM TYPHOONS AND HEAVY RAINS, SAID MR. CHAU.

DEMONSTRATION UNITS, SPONSORED BY THE VEGETABLE MARKETING ORGANISATION, HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED AT SUNG CHING SUN TSUEN NEAR YUEN LONG AND THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT'S EXTENSION FARM AT SHEUNG SHUI.

SINCE THE WRATH OF AGNES, A FARMER AT SHEK KONG COMPLETED THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NETHOUSE AND THE DEPARTMENT HAS RECEIVED NUMEROUS ENQUIRIES FROM FARMERS IN THE YUEN LONG AND TAI PO DISTRICTS ABOUT THE FUNDING AND ESTABLISHMENT OF NETHOUSES.

THE PLASTIC NETHOUSE IS CHEAPER AND MORE VERSATILE THAN

ITS EUROPEAN COUNTERPART, THE GLASSHOUSE.

DURING HOT AND HUMID WEATHER, THE SIDES OF THE NETHOUSES CAN BE ROLLED UP TO ALLOW GENTLE BREEZES BLOW OVER THE CROPS, AND DURING THE APPLICATION OF FERTILISERS, HERBICIDES AND INSECTICIDES, THE SIDES CAN BE LOWERED SO THE PLANTS RECEIVE FULL BENEFIT OF THE TREATMENT. WITH SUCH CONTROLS, FARMERS ARE ASSURED OF UNDAMAGED SEEDLINGS WHICH CAN BE TRANSPLANTED A FEW DAYS AFTER A TYPHOON AND GOOD QUALITY CROPS LITERALLY FREE OF INSECT DAMAGE.

MR. CHAU SAID NETHOUSES OF ABOUT ONE DAU CHUNG (ABOUT 1/6TH OF AN ACRE) COST ABOUT $9,000, INCLUDING LABOUR. ABOUT ONE THIRD OF THE COSTS GOES TOWARDS THE PLASTIC NETTING.

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FARMERS INTERESTED IN ESTABLISHING PLASTIC NETHOUSES CAN APPLY TO THE DEPARTMENT FOR LOW-INTEREST LOANS TO HELP MEET THE COSTS. THE INTEREST VARIES FROM ONE TO FOUR PER CENT DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF THE LOAN.

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