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PRIMARY PRODUCTION
to agricultural production - both because of the increased demand and because many of the new arrivals were skilled farmers. As a result, there was a rapid growth of intensively-cultivated vegetable farming added to which livestock production increased greatly.
Simultaneously, the fishing fleet developed from a migratory one made up of wind- driven junks to a mechanised fleet based in Hong Kong and catering for the marine food requirements of the expanding population. This ready market, along with government assistance, stimulated the mechanisation of the fleet and impressive advances have been made in the transition from junks to modern vessels using in- creasingly complex gear and equipment.
Traditional rice cultivation has continued to decrease as vegetable growing has ex- panded. The profit margin on rice cultivation has dropped sharply in recent years, and much former paddy land around the more remote villages has fallen into disuse and now lies fallow. The able-bodied members of these rural communities have moved to the city or overseas for better paid work. The skilled cultivator can maintain a good standard of living from a half-hectare farm by using modern horticultural techniques, such as sprinkler irrigation, mechanised cultivation and pest control measures, to maintain a continuous succession of crops throughout the year.
Pig and poultry production is more susceptible to changes in the quantity of im- ported swine and poultry and to fluctuations in the prices of feeding stuffs that are almost entirely imported. With lower feed prices and fair prices for poultry and pigs during the year, local production of pigs and poultry showed increases of 10 per cent and 24 per cent respectively above the levels of 1976.
Administration and Services
The Agriculture and Fisheries Department provides a development information service to the primary industries. The details of new projects put forward are carefully con- sidered; those expected to prove both viable and in the interests of Hong Kong are actively encouraged.
Consumer demand and local primary production, within the context of world food production and supply, are investigated so that development planning can be under- taken. All available statistical data on production factors and food supplies, including imports, are collected and analysed to help in the formulation of local production and marketing policies. Business efficiency of differing sectors and units within primary industries are studied to establish and update productivity standards, and to facilitate advice on their improvement. Forward projection studies of the market demand for foods are prepared. The projections are then related to the local primary production capacity, both actual and potential. New food supply sources also are examined. Detailed surveys and studies are carried out on distribution systems and on the dyna- mics of the wholesale marketing of foodstuffs so that long-term development decisions can be planned.
The department encourages optimum land usage by providing technical, develop- ment and advisory services to farmers. It manages large areas of open countryside and is responsible for soil and water conservation, fire fighting, woodland management, landscape repair and the development of recreational services for the public. The department also deals with the economic, social and technological development of the