XN000022-1984-07-07 — Page 7

SATURDAY, JULY 7, 1984

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FARMING CO-OPS PLAYING IMPORTANT ROLE

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DESPITE THE WET WEATHER AND THE HAVOC CAUSED BY TYPHOON ELLEN, VEGETABLE MARKETING CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES SUPPLIED MORE THAN 60 PER CENT OF ALL VEGETABLES SOLD THROUGH THE VEGETABLE MARKETING ORGANISATION LAST YEAR, THE DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES, DR JOHN RIDDELL-SWAN, SAID THIS (SATURDAY) EVENING.

DR RIDDELL-SWAN WAS SPEAKING AT A DINNER RECEPTION, ATTENDED BY REPRESENTATIVES OF LOCAL CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES, TO MARK THE 62ND INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATIVE DAY.

+ THE FEDERATION OF VEGETABLE MARKETING CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES CONTINUED TO PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN HELPING THE IR MEMBERS TO INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY THROUGH MODERN FARMING TECHNIQUES.

+WITH A GRANT OF $100 000 FROM THE VEGETABLE MARKETING ORGANISATION, THE FEDERATION WAS ABLE TO EXTEND ITS BULK PURCHASE SCHEME WHICH SUPPLIES FARMERS WITH GOOD QUALITY PESTICIDES AT REASONABLE PRICES, HE SAID.

HE POINTED OUT THAT THE FEDERATION OF PIG RAISING SOCIETIES WAS ALSO ACTIVE.

THE IMPORTATION OF PEDIGREE PIGS FROM OVERSEAS, ORGANISED BY THE FEDERATION, HELPED TO UPGRADE THE LOCAL BREEDING STOCK.

LAST YEAR, SOME $6 MILLION LOANED TO PIG FARMERS FROM DEPARTMENTALLY-ADMINISTERED LOAN FUNDS WAS DISTRIBUTED THROUGH

CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES.

DR RIDDELL-SWAN SAID THAT ALL FARMERS' CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES CONTINUED TO PLAY A VALUABLE PART IN THE PROVISION OF CREDIT AND TO HELP DESERVING STUDENTS TO FURTHER THE IR STUDIES ON AGRICULTURE.

ON FISHERMEN'S CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES, HE SAID $4 MILLION FROM THE IR OWN FUNDS AND $8.5 MILLION FROM FUNDS ADMINISTERED BY THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT WERE LOANED TO THE FISHING COMMUNITY LAST YEAR.

FUNDS WERE ALSO MADE AVAILABLE FROM THE MARINE FISH SCHOLARSHIP FUND TO ENABLE STUDENTS TO STUDY SUBJECTS RELATED TO THE FISHING INDUSTRY AT LOCAL AND OVERSEAS UNIVERSITIES.

IN THE URBAN SECTOR, DR RIDDELL-SWAN SAID, CONSUMERS' CO-OPERATIVES HAD A GOOD YEAR WITH SALES TOTALLING $5.9 MILLION AND GROSS SURPLUSES EXCEEDING $1.4 MILLION.

HE EXPRESSED CONFIDENCE THAT THESE CONSUMERS' CO-OPERATIVES WOULD CONTINUE TO THRIVE AND WOULD SERVE THE NEEDS OF THE IR MEMBERS

IN THE YEARS AHEAD.

AT THE DINNER, DR RIDDELL-SWAN PRESENTED CERTIFICATES TO THE CHAIRMAN OF THE TA KWU LING VEGETABLE MARKETING AND CREDIT CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY, MR HO SHU-WAN AND THE CHAIRMAN OF THE HANG HAU FISHERMEN'S BETTER LIVING CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY, MR CHEUNG TAO, IN RECOGNITION OF THE IR DEDICATED SERVICE TO THE CO-OPERATIVE MOVEMENT.

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