0003230
G.F. 323
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35.
Imported Cattle Other sources of cattle during 1967 were Thailand (31,102), Indonesia (20,022) and Canbodia (20,352). Again these countries do not have the capacity to fill completely any major scarcity in Chinese supplies but they are in a better position to export cattle at short notice than pigs. The principal difficulties are marshalling and shipping and, to a smaller extent, lairage space in Hong Kong. Chinese cattle are small and the meat equivalent of the overseas imported cattle is greater than indicated above. However despite the shortage of pork and its high price during August and September last year, there was no pronounced increase in the consumption of fresh beef.
36.
Local Cattle
Local supplies consist largely of culls from dairy herds and draught animals because no cattle are raised specifically for beef. In January 1967 local stocks included 3,300 dairy cattle kept for milk production and 13,200 yellow cattle and 1,500 buffaloes kept for ploughing. The dairy cattle rely on imported food but the draught animals rely on local grazing. Local herds represent a small energency stock but no more because local farmers would be reluctant to sell many of these animals.
37.
Live Poultry Virtually all live poultry is imported from China or produced locally as the following monthly figures indicate :-
Country
1965 lbs.
1966 lbs.
1967
lbs.
Live chickens China
2,131,000)
) 79%
2,831,000)
1,945,500
81%
Other poultry China
2,811,000)
3,465,000)
2,766,500
Live chickens Local
1,017,000)
1,154,000)
Not yet
Ducks
Local
277,000) 21%
345,000) 19%
available
Geese
Local
34,000)
37,000)
6,270,000 100% 7,882,000 100%
Thus 80% of our consumption comes from China and the remaining 20% is produced locally. Local production could be expanded more rapidly than any other meat industry. But again this would depend on a stable and profitable market. Small consignments of live poultry might be imported from Singapore, Cambodia and Thailand.
Eggs
38.
About 90% of the 435,000 gross of eggs consumed each month during 1967 came from China. Local production is about 5% of this figure (an average of 23,000 gross a month) of which about half is higher grade table eggs. Local egg production is seasonal and tends to be highest in carly summer. Local production could be increased comparatively quickly if there was sufficient incentive such as a decrease of supplies from China. But local producers would not invest in increasing production without some guarantee that Chinese supplies would not be resumed. The other principal sources of fresh eggs are Japan, South Africa, Thailand, Singapore and Australia. Supplies from Taiwan, Malaysia and South Korea might be developed. However all these sources could not replace the supplies from China in under a year.
/ Fresh ....
CONFIDENTIAL
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