ENG-1961 — Page 122

PRIMARY PRODUCTION

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hillsides and catchment areas, plays an important part. Afforesta- tion is largely undertaken direct by Government, and private afforestation is still relatively unimportant.

Loans are available to farmers through the Kadoorie Agricultural Aid Loan Fund, started in 1955 with equal contributions by Government and Messrs Lawrence and Horace Kadoorie and administered by the Agriculture and Forestry Department whose Director is the Chairman and Trustee. Loans are also available through the J. E. Joseph Trust Fund and through the Vegetable Marketing Organization Loan Fund mentioned later under the heading of 'Marketing'. Some 265 farmers and farmers' sons attended vocational training courses provided by the Agriculture and Forestry Department during 1961. The courses covered a wide range of farming and included instruction in modern techniques on rice cultivation, pig and poultry keeping, market gardening, tree cropping and pond fish culture.

The Kadoorie Agriculture Aid Association, a philanthropic organization also founded by the generosity of the Kadoorie brothers, gives free grants to members of the farming community who_cannot find enough capital on their own. The general-policy of the Association is to help those who are prepared to help themselves, and although it is not a Government sponsored or- ganization it co-operates closely with Government through the Agriculture and Forestry Department which offers technical assis- tance and advice. Similar advice and assistance is also given to all welfare organizations concerned with the rural community, and especially those engaged in the rehabilitation of refugees as farmers.

Within the last decade there has been a marked change in the farming pattern. Formerly paddy cultivation was the most impor- tant aspect of agriculture in the New Territories. With the increased demand for food, especially the protective foods, such as veget- ables, fruit, eggs and poultry meat, and with industrial expansion and immigrant farmers exerting pressure on the land, there has been a steady move in favour of market gardening and of pig and poultry production. At the same time, Government's policy of encouraging diversification in farming practice has resulted in more than 35% of the two-crop paddy land now being used for the grow- ing of winter season catch crops of vegetables; most of this land formerly remained fallow. There has also been more use of artificial