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PRIMARY PRODUCTION
are small, they make an additional source of earning for the small farmer. Products include water chestnut, Japanese apricot, lemon, taro, bitter cucumber, white cabbage, ginger, radish, lychee, wong pei, mushroom, lotus root, olive, turnip, yam and mustard. The area planted to these crops in 1960 was about 608 acres and their value over $3,000,000. The water chestnut crop in particular has grown rapidly in the last two years from less than 200 acres to over 400 acres. The quality has also improved and a larger pro- portion is now being exported as 'first grade'. Crops exported to the United States of America, and certain other foreign countries, must be accompanied by a Certificate of Origin; this requires individual inspection of the crops in the field by staff of the Agriculture and Forestry Department.
Pond Fish Production. The number of fish ponds in the New Territories continued to go up and their total area is now 690 acres, mostly along the Deep Bay coastline near Yuen Long. Grey Mullet is the most important species of fish and must have water with a salinity above 0.05%. Fry may be found in local coastal waters in February and March, but in 1960 the supply was poor-only 1 million, although 6 million were wanted. Fry for production of the four important species, Silver Carp, Grass Carp, Big Head and Mud Carp, are obtained from China between May and August and an adequate supply of about 2 million was imported during the year. These four species require water with a salinity of less than 0.4%. Common Carp and Edith Gold fish are bred locally and about 500,000 and 100,000 fry were produced, a supply that was thought adequate. Edith Gold fish requires fresh water (less than 0.4% salinity) and the Common Carp can tolerate 1% salinity. 10 million fish fry of different types were re-exported to other countries.
The June floods caused losses and the production for the year was 540 tons, valued at $1,800,000 which was only about seven per cent of the total consumption of pond fish.
ANIMAL INDUSTRIES
As there is too little land for extensive grazing, pigs and poultry are the principal food animals reared in the Colony and cattle are mainly used for draught purposes.