ENG-1957 — Page 148

PRIMARY PRODUCTION AND MARKETING

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as a result approximately 1,270 tons of locally caught and processed salt/dried fish were exported in the twelve months period, the main importing countries being Indonesia, Singapore, Malaya, Canada and the United States.

During 1957 the Fish Marketing Organization for the first time became concerned with the marketing of prawns. This development was introduced specifically in order to meet the requirements of the American market, and involved the construction of what is virtually a separate market at Aberdeen. The facilities provided include landing platforms, auction premises and certain ancillary features such as cold storage space.

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Between 7th June, the date on which the new system was put into operation, and 31st December 1,148 tons of prawns were handled, their approximate value being $3,263,130.

The provision of cheap credit is one of the most important of the related services which the Fish Marketing Organiza- tion offers to local fishermen. The Organization's revolving loan fund, which was first established in 1946, had made 782 loans, totalling $1,191,612.85 by the end of 1957, and of this sum $774,406.28 had been repaid. In August 1957 CARE Incorporated, the American relief agency, donated $31,000 to serve as the nucleus of a loan fund for shrimp fishermen. This new fund is administered by the Organiza- tion and in the period August to December provided seven loans totalling $9,500.

The education of fisher children is another principal object of the Organization, it being intended generally to provide free education up to Primary IV standard: in certain major fishing centres this will be extended to include Primary VI. Schools have been established in eight fishing centres and considerable progress was made during the year in constructing new premises. At the end of 1957 a total of 2,250 fisher children were obtaining their education through the Organization. Of this number over 500 were students at the Organization's schools, while the remainder