ENG-1990 — Page 153

PRIMARY PRODUCTION

124

Marketing

Much of the wholesale marketing of primary products – particularly fresh foods - is the responsibility of the Agriculture and Fisheries Department and the Vegetable and Fish Marketing Organisations. This year, 52 per cent of the total quantity of locally-produced vegetables, and 67 per cent of the total landings of marine fish were sold through the organisations.

The Vegetable Marketing Organisation operates under the Agricultural Products (Marketing) Ordinance, which also provides for the establishment of a Marketing Advisory Board to advise the Director of Marketing (the Director of Agriculture and Fisheries). The organisation is responsible for transporting locally-produced vegetables from the New Territories to the wholesale market in Kowloon, providing marketing facilities and supervising sales and financial transactions in the market. Revenue is obtained from a 10 per cent commission on sales. The organisation is non-profit-making. It seeks to maximise returns to farmers by minimising marketing costs. It also provides ancillary services such as the acquisition and sale of agricultural supplies to farmers and the awarding of secondary and tertiary education scholarships to the children of farmers. During the year, 58 130 tonnes of local vegetables valued at $136 million were sold through the organisation.

The Fish Marketing Organisation operates under the Marine Fish (Marketing) Ordi- nance, which also provides for the establishment of a Fish Marketing Advisory Board. The ordinance provides for control of the landing, transport, wholesale marketing, and import and export of marine fish. The organisation operates seven wholesale fish markets. Revenue comes from a six per cent commission on the proceeds of sales. Surplus earnings are channelled back into the industry in the form of various services such as low-interest loans to fishermen, improvements to the markets, financial support for the eight schools for fishermen's children, and scholarships for secondary and tertiary education.

In 1990, the wholesale fish markets handled 67 600 tonnes of marine fish, crustacea and molluscs which were sold for $589 million. This included 3 400 tonnes of imported marine fish sold through these markets.

The wholesale marketing of imported vegetables, fruit, poultry, eggs, freshwater fish and crustacea takes place at various wholesale markets located in different parts of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories. Facilities provided in some of these mar- kets have already become dilapidated, congested and unable to cope with the increasing throughput.

Marketing activities have spilled onto areas adjacent to these markets, causing obstruc- tion, traffic congestion and environmental problems. To improve the situation, a long- term programme has been devised to replace the outdated markets by establishing large modern wholesale market complexes on Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon to centralise the wholesale marketing of fresh foodstuffs. At the end of 1990, 70 per cent of the work to accommodate the existing Hong Kong Island fruit, freshwater fish and egg traders in the Hong Kong complex had been completed. Progress in the planning of the Kowloon complex has been delayed due to the various airport-related projects at the West Kowloon reclamation. In the interim, the government continues to operate a number of temporary wholesale markets - at Western District on Hong Kong Island for fruit and poultry, at North District in the New Territories for agricultural products and at Cheung Sha Wan in Kowloon for imported vegetables, freshwater fish and poultry. The plan to relocate the three existing temporary wholesale markets at Cheung Sha Wan was shelved during the