ENG-1956 — Page 129

PRODUCTION

99

working

The Kadoorie Agricultural Aid Association, closely with the Department, continued to give invaluable 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

referred to the Association, 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, as in previous years, to assist irrigation. A total of 59 orchards, 400 sprayers and 200 threshers were also given.

MARKETING

Fish Marketing Organization. With the object of promot- ing the general development of the local fishing industry, the Government has imposed certain controls on the landing and wholesale marketing of marine fish. These controls are exercised through an agency known as the Fish Marketing Organization, which in one aspect of its operations provides all the services which would otherwise be undertaken by middlemen. The Organization is a non-profit-making concern deriving its revenues, and so covering its expenses, from a commission charged on all the sales of fish which are made

* In 1955 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 neces- sary legislation to enable the fund to be established. Known as the Kadoorie Agricultural Aid Loan Fund, it is operated by the Depart- ment of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, with the Director as trustee. Up to December 1956, 3,704 loans totalling $623,015 had been granted of which $331,627 have been repaid.