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"During their establishment shortly after World War II, Hong Kong experienced a low economic situation with acute food shortage. In view of this, the Government decided to develop local primary production with a view to increasing fresh food supply and maintaining social stablility."
Also as Director of Marketing, Dr Lee said in addition to providing wholesaling services, VMO and FMO had been working hard to tie in with AFD's objective of taking part in and modernising local primary production.
Notable achievements included the introduction of farm mechanisation and advanced farming techniques, production and marketing of premium vegetables and development of the Accredited Farm Scheme.
Other areas of work included the mechanisation of fishing vessels and promotion of advanced capture fishery methods, which had helped build up a modern and efficient fleet.
He noted that VMO and FMO had set up development loan funds in the years to promote agricultural and fishery projects.
VMO set up the Agricultural Development Fund in 1988 and utilised its surplus to improve infrastructure in farming areas and subsidise a number of development projects, including the Agricultural Land Rehabilitation Scheme, Accredited Farm Scheme and the effluent-free pig-on-litter system.
the Looking forward, Dr Lee reiterated that VMO would continue to promote Accredited Farm Scheme in both Hong Kong and China as well as utilise funds for agricultural land rehabilitation and other development projects.
On the other hand, FMO will upgrade and diversify its marketing services.
It has commissioned a consultancy study on the redevelopment of the Aberdeen Fish Market into a modern integrated market complex aimed at better serving the modern-day need of fishermen and the community.
It will also continue to co-operate with AFD on the implementation of PRC fishermen deckhand scheme and promotion of the environmentally friendly pellet feed for mariculture, he said.
At today's ceremony, certificates of appreciation were presented to 42 public- spirited individuals and four organisations in recognition of their contributions to the work of VMO, FMO and AFD in the past years.
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