XN000022-1986-07-05 — Page 9

SATURDAY, JULY 5, 1986

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DR LEE SAID THAT THE FEDERATION OF PIG RAISING CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES CONTINUED TO HELP MEMBERS UPGRADE THEIR BREEDING STOCK BY IMPORTING PEDIGREED ANIMALS FROM OVERSEAS, AND BY ORGANISING MONTHLY TECHNICAL DISCUSSION MEETINGS FOR MEMBERS.

HE NOTED THAT THE FEDERATION WAS PLANNING TO PRODUCE A QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER TO FACILITATE THE DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION ON MODERN PIG PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES.

DR LEE SAID THAT FARMERS' CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF AGRICULTURAL CREDIT.

+DURING 1985-86, OF $19.5 MILLION LOANED TO FARMERS FROM THE VARIOUS LOAN FUNDS ADMINISTERED BY THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT, 19 PER CENT WERE CHANNELLED THROUGH THESE SOCIETIES,+ HE SAID.

IN ADDITION, THE SOCIETIES ISSUED $430 000 FROM THEIR OWN REVOLVING LOAN FUNDS TO MEET A WIDE RANGE OF FARM CREDIT NEEDS BY MEMBERS.

DURING THE SAME PERIOD, FISHERMEN'S SOCIETIES LOANED OUT ABOUT $12 MILLION TO MEMBERS FOR BUILDING NEW VESSELS, PURCHASING FISHING GEAR AND REPAIRING ENGINE AND HULL.

LAST YEAR, HE ADDED, THE DEPARTMENT AND THE FISH MARKETING ORGANISATION SPONSORED TEN FISHERMEN ON A 12-DAY STUDY TOUR TO THE UNITED KINGDOM AND NORWAY TO LEARN OF THE LATEST DEVELOPMENT IN FISHING TECHNOLOGY.

REFERRING TO URBAN CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES, DR LEE SAID A REVIEW OF LOCAL CIVIL SERVANTS CO-OPERATIVE BUILDING SOCIETIES WAS COMPLETED LAST YEAR.

GOVERNMENT HAD AGREED IN PRINCIPLE TO PERMIT THE TRANSFER OF THE LEGAL TITLE TO FLATS AND LAND FROM SUCH SOCIETIES TO THEIR MEMBERS AND TO PERMIT THE SALE, LETTING OR OTHER DISPOSAL OF SUCH PROPERTIES SUBJECT TO CERTAIN PRESCRIBED CONDITIONS.

HE SAID THAT THREE CONSUMERS' SOCIETIES WERE REGISTERED IN THE PAST YEAR, BRINGING THE TOTAL TO TEN,

DR LEE THEN PRESENTED CERTIFICATES TO THE CHAIRMAN OF THE ABERDEEN MECHANISED CONGER PIKE SMALL LONG LINER FISHERMEN'S CREDIT CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY UNLIMITED, MR LAI MUK-KAM, COMMITTEE MEMBER OF THE TSUI KENG VEGETABLE MARKETING CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY LIMITED, MR YEUNG YEE-HOI, AND SECRETARY OF THE HUNG SHUI KIU TIN SAI PIG RAISING CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY LIMITED, MR WONG HON-SING.

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