XN000022-1985-07-06 — Page 5

SATURDAY, JULY 6, 1985

DR RIDDELL-SWAN SAID THAT GENERALLY GOOD WEATHER FAVOURED VEGETABLE GROWING AND PRODUCTION WAS 159 000 TONNES OR FOUR PER CENT UP ON 1983 FIGURES.

VEGETABLE MARKETING CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES SUPPLIED MORE THAN HALF OF THE LOCALLY-PRODUCED VEGETABLES MARKETED THROUGH THE VEGETABLE MARKETING ORGANISATION.

+ IN ADDITION, THE FEDERATION OF VEGETABLE MARKETING SOCIETIES HAD ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL YEAR IN ANCILLIARY OPERATIONS SUCH AS THE SALE OF CULTIVATORS, PLASTIC BASKETS AND GOOD QUALITY PESTICIDES AT LOW PRICES WHICH BENEFITED FARMERS.+

DR RIDDELL-SWAN SAID THE FEDERATION ALSO MADE FULL USE OF VOCATIONAL TRAINING ACTIVITIES ORGANISED BY THE DEPARTMENT.

+ THE VISIT BY VEGETABLE FARMERS TO THE UNITED STATES LAST YEAR, WHICH WAS ORGANISED BY THE DEPARTMENT AND SPONSORED BY THE VEGETABLE MARKETING ORGANISATION, WAS A GREAT SUCCESS, HE SAID.

THE FEDERATION OF PIG RAISING CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES CONTINUED TO HELP MEMBERS TO UPGRADE THEIR BREEDING STOCK BY IMPORTING PEDIGREED ANIMALS FROM OVERSEAS, DR RIDDELL-SWAN SAID.

REFERRING TO FISHERMEN'S CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES, HE SAID THAT THEY CONTINUED TO DO WELL AND, DESPITE POOR FISHING AND DEPRESSED PRICES, PRODUCTION WAS FAIR AND THEY STILL MANAGED TO INCREASE THE IR LOAN FUND CAPITAL BY FOUR PER CENT AND REGISTERED A SURPLUS OF ABOUT $210 000.

TO PROVIDE LOCAL FISHERMEN WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN THE LATEST DEVELOPMENT IN FISHING TECHNOLOGY AND MARKETING, THE DEPARTMENT AND THE FISH MARKETING ORGANISATION HAD ORGANISED AND SPONSORED A VISIT TO THE INTERNATIONAL FISHERY AND PROCESSING EXHIBITION IN GUANGZHOU LAST YEAR.

IN THE URBAN SECTOR, DR RIDDELL-SWAN SAID THAT CONSUMERS' CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES RÉCORDED A TRADING SURPLUS OF $1.3 MILLION LAST YEAR DESPITE A DECREASE IN SALE TURNOVER.

DR RIDDELL-SWAN ALSO PRESENTED CERTIFICATES TO MR LEUNG CHIK, CHAIRMAN OF THE FEDERATION OF PIG RAISING CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES, MR LAU WING-YAU, CHAIRMAN OF THE SUNG CHING VEGETABLE MARKETING CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY AND MR NG CHUEN-HEE, CHAIRMAN OF THE FEDERATION OF FISHERMEN'S CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES OF SAI KUNG DISTRICT, IN RECOGNITION OF THEIR SERVICE TO THE CO-OPERATIVE MOVEMENT.

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