XN000022-1992-07-04 — Page 2

SATURDAY, JULY 4, 1992

1

PERFORMANCE OF LOCAL CO-OPERATIVES: GOOD

THE TERRITORY'S

CO-OPERATIVES

HAVE CONTINUED PERFORMANCE IN 1991-92 ΤΟ MEET THE NEEDS OF THEIR DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES, DR LAWRENCE LEE, (SATURDAY).

THEIR GOOD MEMBERS, THE SAID TODAY

THIS WAS STATED BY DR LEE, AS REGISTRAR OF HONG CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES, WHEN ADDRESSING A DINNER GATHERING CELEBRATE THE 70TH INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATIVE DAY,

KONG то

HIGHLIGHTING THE ACTIVITIES OF LOCAL CO-OPERATIVE MOVEMENT, DR LEE SAID THE HONG KONG FISHING FLEET HAD A SUCCESSFUL YEAR LAST YEAR.

H

HE SAID: LANDINGS AT THE WHOLESALE FISH MARKETS OF THE FISH MARKETING ORGANISATION ROSE FROM 67,000 TONNES IN 1990

1990 TO 76,000 TONNES IN 1991, REPRESENTING AN INCREASE IN VALUE FROM $585 MILLION TO $683 MILLION, OR 17 PER CENT.

**

THE 64 FISHERMEN'S CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES AND FOUR FEDERATIONS RECORDED A TOTAL SURPLUS OF $228,000 IN 1991 FISHERMEN'S CO-OPERATIVES ACCUMULATED A TOTAL REVOLVING CAPITAL OF $6.9 MILLION, HE SAID.

FISHERMEN'S WHEN THESE LOAN FUND

"LOANS FROM THESE FUNDS AND THOSE GRANTED FROM OTHER LOAN FUNDS ADMINISTERED BY THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT (AFD), TOTALLED $13.8 MILLION AND WERE GRANTED MAINLY FOR PRODUCTIVE PURPOSES SUCH AS THE BUILDING OF NEW FISHING VESSELS AND THE PURCHASE OF FISHING EQUIPMENT.

TO ENABLE MEMBERS OF THE FISHERMEN'S CO-OPERATIVES TO UPDATE THEIR INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE OF NEW DEVELOPMENTS WITHIN THE FISHING INDUSTRY, 20 FISHERMEN PARTICIPATED IN AN EIGHT-DAY STUDY TOUR TO JAPAN ORGANISED BY THE DEPARTMENT.

"ALL PARTICIPANTS BENEFITED FROM THE TOUR BY INCREASING THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF MODERN FISH PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY AND FISH MARKETING SYSTEMS WHICH I KNOW WILL APPLY TO THE LOCAL FISHING INDUSTRY, HE SAID.

**

ON THE AGRICULTURAL FRONT OF THE MOVEMENT, DR LEE SAID OF THE 215,300 TONNES OF VEGETABLES MARKETED THROUGH THE VEGETABLE MARKETING ORGANISATION LAST YEAR, 45 PER CENT (96,200 TONNES) CAME FROM THE 27 REGISTERED VEGETABLE MARKETING CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETIES.

TO SUPPORT TO HELP SOME 44

THESE SOCIETIES HAVE WORKED THROUGH THEIR FEDERATION IMPROVE THEIR VEGETABLE PRODUCTION AND MARKETING SERVICES, TO THE PESTICIDE RESIDUE MONITORING SCHEME AND IN PARTICULAR, WITH THE IMPROVEMENT OF AGRICULTURAL INFRASTRUCTURE ON HECTARES OF AGRICULTURAL LAND, HE SAID.

"THE FEDERATION ALSO ORGANISED TWO TRIPS RECENTLY, TAIWAN IN MAY AND THE OTHER ΤΟ CALIFORNIA, USA IN JUNE,

ONE

ΤΟ FOR 32

VEGETABLE FARMERS."

/THE DIRECTOR