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PRIMARY PRODUCTION
to an overall average of 3,600 piculs of vegetables handled daily by the organisation.
ANIMAL INDUSTRIES
Since there is insufficient land for extensive grazing, pigs and poultry are the principal animals reared in the Colony for food. The pigs of Hong Kong are mostly crosses of local animals with exotic stock, and pure strains of the Chinese type are becoming less common.
To enable the farmer to utilise the prolific characteristic of the local breed with the greater food conversion ratio to meat of the exotic breeds, the Agriculture and Fisheries Department provides an artificial insemination service, besides supplying breeding stock.
While locally produced pigs represent only 16 per cent of total pigs killed, their value is some $32 million per annum, and proposals to stimulate and expand production are being implemented.
The poultry industry which, including pigeons and quail, is worth some $176.3 million production value per annum is develop- ing rapidly with units increasing in size and intensity. Farmers are adopting advanced methods of management adapted to local conditions with success, taking the process through from locally bred chicks to table birds, using both local breeds and imported hybrids. Duck rearing is also important and steps are being taken to expand this industry. Legislation controlling the slaughter and inspection of Chinese style pressed ducks for export to the USA was passed during the year.
While local cattle and buffaloes are kept mainly for work, imported Friesians are kept by dairies, the main one on Hong Kong Island and others in smaller groups outside Kowloon and in the New Territories. Regular tuberculin testing is carried out on all dairy animals.
While sporadic outbreaks of a mild type of foot-and-mouth disease (type Ò) and swine fever still occur, these have been kept under control by vaccination. Newcastle disease in poultry has been controlled by the use of the Ranikhet and intra-nasal-drop vaccines. During 1970, the lapinised rinderpest vaccine formerly used was replaced by a tissue-culture vaccine which bestows a