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PRIMARY PRODUCTION
Loans are available to farmers through four separate loan funds: the Kadoorie Agricultural Aid Loan Fund, the J. E. Joseph Trust Fund, the World Refugee Year Loan Fund and the Vegetable Marketing Organisation Loan Fund, which are all administered through the department. As at December 31, 1970, the total loans issued and recovered since inception of the four funds were in the order of $53,507,246.93 and $49,806,576.91 respectively.
In the rural education programme this year, over 1,240 farmers attended discussion groups led by professional and technical officers from the department. A restricted programme of formal training was also carried out in which 290 farmers and farmers' sons and daughters received vocational training in a wide variety of subjects. Over 136,627 visits were made to farmers by both professional and technical officers and farmers also visited govern- ment experimental farms and farming projects.
With the rising labour cost, farmers have shown increasing interest in the use of small farm machines and sprinkler irrigation. At the end of 1970, 140 'Landmaster' cultivators were in use on fields and 120 sprinkler units were established on vegetable farms.
PRINCIPAL CROPS
The principal crops grown in Hong Kong are vegetables, rice, flowers, fruit and some other field crops. The value of crop produc- tion has gone up from $75.8 million in 1964–5 to $162 million in 1969-70, an increase of some 112 per cent. Vegetable production presently accounts for over 74 per cent of the total value, having increased from $54 million in 1964-5 to $116 million in 1969–70.
Rice is the staple food of the southern Chinese. Two crops of rice can be grown in a year on land where irrigation water is adequate. The normal yield from an acre of two-crop land is approximately two tons, but the yield per acre can be increased to over five tons by planting high yielding strains of rice selected from varieties IR8 and Nonsensitive BPI (Bicol) with improved management and high levels of manuring. Since 1954 the acreage of rice land has dropped from 23,353 acres to 13,850 acres in 1970. Rice production continues to give way to very intensive vegetable production which gives a far higher return, where there is adequate irrigation water and good road access.