XN000022-1982-07-03 — Page 2

SATURDAY, JULY 3, 1982

LOANS TO HONG KONG FISHERMEN INCREASED

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FARMERS AND FISHERMEN RECEIVED $23.5 MILLION LAST YEAR FROM LOAN FUNDS ADMINISTERED BY THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT.

AND THE $11 MILLION LOANED TO FISHERMEN WAS AN INCREASE OF 240 PER CENT COMPARED WITH THE PREVIOUS YEAR. FARMERS BORROWED $12.5 MILLION FROM THE FUNDS.

THE FIGURES WERE RELEASED TODAY BY THE DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES, MR JOHN RIDDELL-SWAN AT A DINNER MARKING THE 60TH INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATIVE DAY.

+TO STRENGTHEN THE FISHING INDUSTRY AND TO GIVE INCREASED OPPORTUNITIES TO DESERVING STUDENTS, A TOTAL OF $125 000 WAS AWARDED THIS YEAR AS GRANTS OR LOANS FROM THE MARINE FISH SCHOLARSHIP FUND TO 10 STUDENTS STUDYING AT LOCAL OR OVERSEAS UNIVERSITIES.

+THE OPPORTUNITY IS ALSO GIVEN TO ELIGIBLE STUDENTS TO FURTHER THEIR EDUCATION ESPECIALLY IN THE FIELD OF AGRICULTURE AND A TOTAL OF $135 000 WAS AWARDED FROM THE AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS TO SIX STUDENTS STUDYING AT LOCAL OR OVERSEAS UNIVERSITIES, HE SAID.

MR RIDDELL-SWAN SAID THAT TO ENABLE LOCAL FISHERMEN TO GAIN ADDITIONAL INSIGHT INTO MODERN DEVELOPMENTS, THE FISH MARKETING ORGANISATION LAST YEAR SPONSORED NINË FISHERMEN'S CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY MEMBERS ON A VERY SUCCESSFUL ONE-WEEK STUDY TOUR TO SINGAPORE WHICH INCLUDED A VISIT TO THE FIRST ASIAN FISHERIES EXHIBITION.

+FOR THE FARMING INDUSTRY, THE PAST YEAR WAS ONE OF MIXED BLESSINGS BUT WAS, IN GENERAL, SATISFACTORY ESPECIALLY FOR LIVESTOCK FARMERS. BOTH THE FEDERATION OF VEGETABLE MARKETING CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES AND THE FEDERATION OF PIG RAISING CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES CONTINUED TO PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN HELPING FARMERS WITH BULK PURCHASING AND OTHER SCHEMES AND THE INDIVIDUAL SOCIETIES WITHIN THE FEDERATIONS PROVIDED VALUABLE SERVICES ESPECIALLY IN THE FIELDS OF CREDIT AND MARKETING, SAID MR RIDDELL-SWAN.