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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL ADDRESS BY CHAIRMANCHAIRMAN (in English):—Ladies and Gentlemen, the meeting is called to order. Today is our first meeting of the Lunar New Year. I wish you all Kung Hei Fat Choy.
MINUTESThe minutes of the meetings held on 10 and 12 January 1989, were confirmed.
PAPERThe following paper was laid on the table:-
(1) Report to the Urban Council by the Director of Urban Services and Secretary, Urban Council, for the month of January 1989.
QUESTIONS1. MR. WALTER M. SULKE asked the following question (in English):—In view of our difficulties in privatising our abattoirs and the huge losses we suffer running these, is it not about time that we start an educational campaign to wean our population off fresh meat and to accept chilled or frozen meat so that the amount of slaughtering carried out in Hong Kong can be reduced and thereby also reducing our losses?
MR. CHAN KWOK-MING, CHAIRMAN OF THE FOOD HYGIENE SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in Cantonese): The question concerns whether or not it is the right time to start an educational campaign to teach our population to accept chilled or frozen meat.
In Hong Kong meat consumption falls into two main categories: fresh meat produced by UC abattoirs and private slaughterhouses and chilled/frozen meat imported from abroad. Over the past few years, the meat consumption per capita has remained quite stable at about 39 kg of pork and 10.75 kg of beef per annum. Out of this quantity, frozen pork and beef account for 9 kg and 5 kg respectively and represent substantial increases as compared with the consumption of frozen meat at the beginning of this decade. The increase is as much as 122% in the case of frozen pork and 64% in the case of frozen beef. Such an increase in demand is because of the proliferation of fast food shops and the lower prices of frozen meat. However, notwithstanding the fact that frozen beef and pork have become more acceptable to the general public, fresh meat (in particular fresh pork) is still preferred to frozen meat by the Chinese population in Hong Kong. The result is that the consumption of frozen meat has levelled off after a sharp increase between 1981 and 1983 while the per capita consumption of fresh meat has stabilized during recent years at the level of 5.5 kg of beef and 29 kg of pork per annum.
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Against this background it is therefore highly unlikely that an educational campaign aiming to change the meat eating habit of our population will succeed particularly when the population is provided with a free choice of fresh or frozen meat. It is also doubtful whether launching such a campaign is advisable, having regard to the following consideration:
(a) First and foremost is that fresh meat consumption does not carry any adverse health implications. As fresh meat is traditionally taken as more delicious than frozen meat and scientifically there is no evidence to show that frozen meat is better, it is difficult to convince the Chinese population to give up fresh meat for frozen meat.
(b) The reason given for organizing such a campaign is for the purpose of reducing the operating loss suffered by the Council. As the loss of UC abattoirs is mainly attributable to the excessively high operating cost arising from the constraints imposed by Government regulations, the rationale of the campaign is not likely to win public support. In this regard, it is noteworthy that private slaughterhouses in the New Territories are currently being operated at a profit.
(c) The campaign will arouse strong objection from the fresh meat traders, livestock importers and their associated business partners as this would directly affect their interest. It will also not be in the interest of the Council because overall reduction in slaughter figures which is the purpose of this campaign will certainly further increase the Council's deficits in abattoir operation.
(d) Furthermore, it is not considered to be the right time for such a campaign as the Department is at this stage about to enter into formal negotiation with the prospective private operator for taking over the Kennedy Town Abattoir and constructing a new slaughterhouse in Sheung Shui. Such a campaign would become a disincentive to the future operators and add difficulties to the negotiation.
Privatization of UC abattoirs is still regarded as the most positive solution to resolve the huge deficit suffered by the Council in operating these facilities. Though the programme has encountered difficulties, they are by no means insurmountable. We should not therefore lose hope as the Department is liaising with the Government to find ways of overcoming the problems. I would suggest that more time be given to the Department to handle this complicated project while the Council would continue to monitor the progress.
MR. WALTER M. SULKE (in English):--Mr. Chairman, I agree that privatization is by far the best way of going. However, we have been trying to do that now for over three years and Government has obstructed all our efforts. Why should we
322
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
ADDRESS BY CHAIRMAN
CHAIRMAN (in English):—Ladies and Gentlemen, the meeting is called to order. Today is our first meeting of the Lunar New Year. I wish you all Kung Hei Fat Choy.
MINUTES
The minutes of the meetings held on 10 and 12 January 1989, were confirmed.
PAPER
The following paper was laid on the table:-
(1) Report to the Urban Council by the Director of Urban Services and
Secretary, Urban Council, for the month of January 1989.
QUESTIONS
1. MR. WALTER M. SULKE asked the following question (in English):—In view of our difficulties in privatising our abattoirs and the huge losses we suffer running these, is it not about time that we start an educational campaign to wean our population off fresh meat and to accept chilled or frozen meat so that the amount of slaughtering carried out in Hong Kong can be reduced and thereby also reducing our losses?
MR. CHAN KWOK-MING, CHAIRMAN OF THE FOOD HYGIENE SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in Cantonese): The question concerns whether or not it is the right time to start an educational campaign to teach our population to accept chilled or frozen meat.
In Hong Kong meat consumption falls into two main categories: fresh meat produced by UC abattoirs and private slaughterhouses and chilled/frozen meat imported from abroad. Over the past few years, the meat consumption per capita has remained quite stable at about 39 kg of pork and 10.75 kg of beef per annum. Out of this quantity, frozen pork and beef account for 9 kg and 5 kg respectively and represent substantial increases as compared with the consumption of frozen meat at the beginning of this decade. The increase is as much as 122% in the case of frozen pork and 64% in the case of frozen beef. Such an increase in demand is because of the proliferation of fast food shops and the lower prices of frozen meat. However, notwithstanding the fact that frozen beef and pork have become more acceptable to the general public, fresh meat (in particular fresh pork) is still preferred to frozen meat by the Chinese population in Hong Kong. The result is that the consumption of frozen meat
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
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has levelled off after a sharp increase between 1981 and 1983 while the per capita consumption of fresh meat has stabilized during recent years at the level of 5.5 kg of beef and 29 kg of pork per annum.
Against this background it is therefore highly unlikely that an educational campaign aiming to change the meat eating habit of our population will succeed particularly when the population is provided with a free choice of fresh or frozen meat. It is also doubtful whether launching such a campaign is advisable, having regard to the following consideration:
(a) First and foremost is that fresh meat consumption does not carry any adverse health implications. As fresh meat is traditionally taken as more delicious than frozen meat and scientifically there is no evidence to show that frozen meat is better, it is difficult to convince the Chinese population to give up fresh meat for frozen meat.
(b) The reason given for organizing such a campaign is for the purpose of reducing the operating loss suffered by the Council. As the loss of UC abattoirs is mainly attributable to the excessively high operating cost arising from the constraints imposed by Government regulations, the rationale of the campaign is not likely to win public support. In this regard, it is noteworthy that private slaughterhouses in the New Territories are currently being operated at a profit.
(c) The campaign will arouse strong objection from the fresh meat traders, livestock importers and their associated business partners as this would directly affect their interest. It will also not be in the interest of the Council because overall reduction in slaughter figures which is the purpose of this campaign will certainly further increase the Council's deficits in abattoir operation.
(d) Furthermore, it is not considered to be the right time for such a campaign as the Department is at this stage about to enter into formal negotiation with the prospective private operator for taking over the Kennedy Town Abattoir and constructing a new slaughterhouse in Sheung Shui. Such a campaign would become a disincentive to the future operators and add difficulties to the negotiation.
Privatization of UC abattoirs is still regarded as the most positive solution to resolve the huge deficit suffered by the Council in operating these facilities. Though the programme has encountered difficulties, they are by no means insurmountable. We should not therefore lose hope as the Department is liaising with the Government to find ways of overcoming the problems. I would suggest that more time be given to the Department to handle this complicated project while the Council would continue to monitor the progress.
MR. WALTER M. SULKE (in English):--Mr. Chairman, I agree that privatization is by far the best way of going. However, we have been trying to do that now for over three years and Government has obstructed all our efforts. Why should we
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