ENG-1955 — Page 108

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HONG KONG ANNUAL REPORT

The Kadoorie Agricultural Aid Association, working g closely with the Department, continued to give invaluable à practical assistance in agricultural development. Village: requirements for the construction or repair of wells, dams,. irrigation channels, paths and bridges were investigated by the District Officers of the three districts into which the New Territories are divided, and in all cases where assistance · seemed warranted, but which were beyond the capacity of the local public works vote operated by the New Territories Administration, the requirements were referred to the Associa- tion, which generously provided tens of thousands of bags of cement for small but important works of this kind. Free gifts of pigs and pigstyes were made, and during the drought pumps were supplied to assist irrigation.

The sponsors of the Association, Messrs. Lawrence, and Horace Kadoorie, made a gift of $250,000 to the Government to start a loan fund for farmers, and the Government, in accepting the gift, made a dollar-for-dollar contribution and introduced the necessary legislation to enable the fund to be established. Known as the Kadoorie Agricultural Aid Loan Fund, it is operated by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, with the Director as trustee.

MARKETING

Fish Marketing Organization

With the aim of promoting general development in the fishing industry, the Government controls the wholesale marketing and transport of all marine fish, and operates a Fish Marketing Organization which, by reducing the profits of middlemen, ensures that fishermen receive reasonable and steady returns for their catch. This in turn encourages them to try out new gear and improved methods of fishing, and makes possible a general improvement in their conditions of livelihood. The Fish Marketing Organization, the senior personnel of which are members of the Civil Service, is controlled by the Director of Marketing, but maintains itself out of a 6% commission charged on all sales. The Organiza- tion is so devised that, with the future development of cooperative societies, it could eventually become a cooperative organization independent of Government. The Director of Marketing is concurrently Registrar of Cooperative Societies.