CONFIDENTIAL
3. It should be borne in mind that Australasian supplies dwindled
from the end of October to the end of January/beginning of February.
For this reason the Hong Kong Government might think it worthwhile
to establish a stock pile in Australasia or in Hong Kong to cover the
period of shortage (see para.5 (e) below). An alternative source of
supply during the Australasian "close season" might be Kenya, who
already sends meat to Hong Kong, or Southern Africa. South American
supplies would have to overcome transport difficulties since there
is no cross-Pacific refrigerated shipping; if quantities were large
enough, however, direct shipping could be chartered.
4. Pork presented most difficulty since there was no alternative
source of supply within the immediate area. Denmark and Holland would
probably be able to supply frozen pigs, and Poland was a likely
source. North America might also be worth considering.
Long Term Supplies
5. The major difficulty in arranging alternative sources of supply
lies in the understandable unwillingness of the trade in Hong Kong
to buy from other sources unless they have some guarantee that their
stocks will not be made unsellable by a resumption of Chinese imports.
The necessary protection could be afforded by any of the following
devices:
(a)
control of meat imports so that no more than a certain
percentage can come from China; such a restriction is
operated now for rice supplies.
CONFIDENTIAL
/(b)
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