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SATURDAY, JANUARY 30, 1988

RICE CONTROL SCHEME PLAYS VITAL ROLE

HONG KONG HAS VARIOUS SOURCES OF SUPPLY FOR THE HUGE AMOUNT OF RICE IT CONSUMES, INCLUDING CHINA, THAILAND, AUSTRALIA AND THE UNITED STATES.

RICE IMPORTING IS SUBJECT TO CONTROL UNDER A CONTROL SCHEME OPERATED BY THE TRADE DEPARTMENT. WITHIN THE SCHEME, THERE ARE 46 REGISTERED RICE STOCKHOLDERS, INCLUDING TWO ADDITIONAL IMPORTERS SELECTED BY BALLOT ON THURSDAY.

ACCORDING TO MRS SHIRLEY Y.S. LAU, TRADE OFFICER AT THE TRADE DEPARTMENT IN CHARGE OF THE RICE CONTROL

SCHEME, EXPERIENCE IN THE TRADE IS AN IMPORTANT CRITERION WHEN THE NUMBERS OF IMPORTERS 19 EXPANDED.

THIS IS IN LINE WITH THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY REGARDING THE APPOINTMENT OF THE FIRST 29 RICE STOCKHOLDERS IN 1955 WHEN THE SCHEME

WAS INTRODUCED.

"THE NUMBER OF RICE STOCKHOLDERS WAS INCREASED TO 38 IN 1957 AND THEY, AMONG THEMSELVES, SHARED THE 900 UNITS OF RICE QUOTA AT 100 TONNES PER UNIT PER QUARTER, MRS LAU SAID.

H

THE

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HOWEVER, SINCE A RESHUFFLE OF THE QUOTA ALLOCATION IN 1976 QUANTITY OF RICE TO BE IMPORTED INTO HONG KONG PER QUARTER FOR CONSUMPTION IS SUBJECT TO A QUOTA WHICH IS DIVIDED INTO 1,000 UNITS AT 90 TONNES PER UNIT.

STATISTICS SHOW THAT WITH CHANGING EATING HABITS THE CONSUMPTION OF RICE PER CAPITA HAS DROPPED CONSIDERABLY, FROM 120 KILOGRAMS PER YEAR IN 1961 TO 65 IN 1988.

"THE IMPORT OF RICE TO HONG KONG HAS BEEN MAINTAINED AT AROUND 350,000 TONNES PER YEAR FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS, WHICH IS DUE ΤΟ THE GROWING POPULATION," MRS LAU SAID.

FINDINGS BY THE TRADE DEPARTMENT ALSO SHOW THAT WHILE HONG KONG PEOPLE HAVE BEEN EATING LESS RICE, MORE OF THEM HAVE BEEN CHANGING TO RICE OF HIGHER QUALITY, AS EVIDENCED

BY THE GROWING POPULARITY IN RECENT YEARS OF THE MORE HIGHLY PRICED THAT "FRAGRANT" AND AUSTRALIAN "INGA".

"RICE IS STILL CONSIDERED A STAPLE FOODSTUFF AND THE GOVERNMENT, AS ADVISED BY THE RICE ADVISORY COMMITTEE, SEES THE NEED TO CONTROL IT," MRS LAU SAID.

THE 13-MEMBER

COMMITTEE,

WHICH WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1974, ADVISES THE DIRECTOR OF TRADE ON THE TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF THE OPERATION OF THE RICE CONTROL SCHEME AND ON ALL ASPECTS OF THE RICE TRADE.

/IT ALSO