XN000022-1982-02-22 — Page 8

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 1982

PIONEER SOCIETY HELPS FARMERS

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THE DEVELOPMENT OF HONG KONG'S FIRST CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY, ESTABLISHED SOME 30 YEARS AGO AT FANLING, IS A STORY OF RAGS TO RICHES.

IT WAS IMMEDIATELY AFTER WORLD WAR II THAT A SMALL GROUP OF 40 FARMERS FROM FANLING GATHERED TOGETHER AND RESPONDED TO THE IDEA OF FORMING MARKETING CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES AS INSTRUMENTS FOR IMPROVED MARKETING AND FOR IMPROVING THEIR SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC STATUS.

TODAY THERE ARE MORE THAN 400 SUCH SOCIETIES IN HONG KONG WITH SOME 22 000 MEMBERS, A SHARE CAPITAL OF $1.8 MILLION AND DEPOSITS EXCEEDING $6.5 MILLION.

TRIBUTE WAS PAID TO THE FANLING VEGETABLE CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY TODAY (MONDAY) BY THE DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES, MR JOHN RIDDELL-SWAN WHO NOTED THE SOCIETY STILL HAD 31 OF ITS FOUNDERS AMONG ITS 1 045 MEMBERS.

IT WAS A MEASURE OF THE SOCIETY'S DEVELOPMENT AND STRENGTH, SAID MR RIDDELL-SWAN, THAT BESIDES ITS INCREASED MEMBERSHIP, ITS ANNUAL TURNOVER HAD INCREASED FROM $320 000 IN THE FIRST YEAR OF OPERATION IN 1951 TO $12 MILLION LAST YEAR. AND ITS VEGETABLE COLLECTING DEPOTS INCREASED FROM ONE TO EIGHT.

+WHILE FURTHERING THE BUSINESS INTERESTS OF ITS MEMBERS, THE SOCIETY HAS NOT NEGLECTED THEIR WELFARE AND HAS ESTABLISHED LOAN FUNDS FOR FAMILY NEEDS AND HAS ACTIVELY ENCOURAGED REAL CO-OPERATION AMONG INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS FOR MUTUAL BENEFIT,+ HE SAID.

THE SOCIETY WAS ALSO AMONG THE FIRST TO SET UP A PROVIDENT FUND SCHEME FOR ITS MEMBERS.

THE COMMENTS FROM MR RIDDELL-SWAN WERE MADE AT THE OPENING OF THE SOCIETY'S NEW PREMISES AT MA SZE PO.

THE SOCIETY'S CHAIRMAN, MR FUNG KWONG BRIEFLY OUTLINED DEVELOPMENTS: THE SOCIETY WAS ESTABLISHED WITH THE HELP OF THE FORMER CO-OPERATIVE DEPARTMENT; AND ITS PREMISES AT ON LOK VILLAGE HAD AN AREA OF 200 SQ. FT.

+SUBSEQUENTLY, SAID MR FUNG, UNDER THE CLOSE SUPERVISION OF THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT AND THE BRILLIANT LEADERSHIP OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEES OVER THE YEARS, OUR SOCIETY EXPANDED AND THE PREMISES WERE ALSO EXTENDED TO 3 000 SQ. FT.+

LAST YEAR THE VILLAGE WAS RESUMED BY GOVERNMENT FOR DEVELOPMENT. WITH ASSISTANCE BY THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT AND THE DISTRICT OFFICE (NORTH), THE SOCIETY WAS GRANTED MORE THAN

1 400 SQ. FT. OF LAND AT MA SZE PO AND $112 500 EX-GRATIA PAYMENT FOR CONSTRUCTION COSTS. IT ALSO RECEIVED $50 000 SUBSIDY FROM THE VEGETABLE MARKETING ORGANISATION.