ENG-1946 — Page 59

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from growing vegetables by the low prices paid for them. was therefore decided that the entire wholesale marketing of vegetables should be taken over by the Government until co- operative management by the farmers themselves could be established. Since it was certain that this reform would meet opposition, and possible that the importation of vegetables from China would be for a time adversely affected, the new scheme was in the first place applied only to the mainland of the Colony, so that the importers might be still free if they wished to bring their produce to the island, where the whole- sale dealers continued their business. The new Government wholesale market was opened in Kowloon on 15th September, 1946. From that date all the vegetables produced on the mainland were brought to this market for sale to the retailers by public auction. The system worked well during the period under review and as detailed arrangements were improved in the light of experience it met with fairly general approval from the farmers. It soon found favour with the importers too, and a large number of them have requested that its operation should be extended to the entire Colony. This was under consideration at the end of 1946.

One result of the Government control of vegetable marketing was that it brought the Agricultural Department into very close relations with the farming population. The agricultural area is divided into well-defined districts, each of which has representatives appointed to deal with the market in all matters concerning the farmers. These men oversee the daily transport of the produce and the auctioning by which it is sold to the retailers, and are responsible for deli- vering payment to the individual growers. They also supervise the distribution of fertilizers and seeds, and convey the requests of the growers for any help they need from the department, whose officials visit the farmers as often as may be necessary. The farmers were at first inclined to regard governmental intervention with suspicion but they are gra- dually coming to value the advice and help which is available.

Extension of Co-operative System.

The general trend of the Government's dealings with the farmers during the year under review

the year under review was towards the organization of co-operative production. Progress was slow and will inevitably continue to be so since of all farmers the Chinese farmer is perhaps the most conservative; but the direc- tion in which progress could be made was already becoming clear during 1946. Collective marketing was established in a few areas among tomato-growers, and a plan was taking shape for these groups to arrange the export of their own produce, since tomato growing is one of the few branches of the farming industry in Hong Kong that cater for export. Collective growing began in one district and every encourage- ment was given to the people to combine in the management

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