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Primary Production
HONG KONG has a very small agricultural base with only about nine per cent of the total land area being suitable for crop farming. Only about two per cent of the labour force is engaged in primary production - agriculture and fisheries - yet its people, according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, are among the world's highest consumers of protein.
Each day, the people of Hong Kong consume about 1 000 tonnes of rice, 1 500 tonnes of vegetable, 10 000 pigs, 600 head of cattle, 250 tonnes of poultry, 400 tonnes of fish and 1 000 tonnes of fruit. Much of this is imported, but Hong Kong farmers help to satisfy some of the demand. In quantity terms, local farmers produce about 38 per cent of fresh vegetables, 55 per cent of live poultry, 21 per cent of live pigs, and 15 per cent of fresh water fish, while the fishing fleet of nearly 5 000 vessels supplies about 90 per cent of all fresh marine fish eaten. The locally-produced food is generally of a higher quality than the imported foodstuffs and thus fetches higher prices in the markets.
Foodstuffs account for about 23 per cent of Hong Kong's imports from China. Local production, aimed at maintaining a degree of self-sufficiency, is geared to complement rather than compete with major food imports. Local produce consists of mainly high-value, perishable foods and full advantage is taken of the local consumers' preference for fresh food, as opposed to frozen or chilled food.
Severe rainstorms in April and May caused some flooding and damage to fish ponds in the New Territories. In April, 54 hectares of fish ponds in Kam Tin and San Tin areas were flooded causing losses of about 110 tonnes of fish. Later in the year, Typhoon Ellen devastated half of the territory's vegetable crops (1 500 hectares) under cultivation, killed 100 000 chickens and 2 500 pigs and caused immense damage to fish ponds, marine fish culture rafts and fishing vessels. Five Hong Kong fishermen were drowned when their vessels sank at sea. Emergency relief totalling $4.7 million was paid out to the farmers and fishermen to help them re-establish their businesses.
Agriculture and Fisheries Department
The Agriculture and Fisheries Department encourages optimum use of agricultural land throughout the rural areas. It assists in the development of agriculture, especially in the form of irrigation projects and other long-term improvement schemes. New concepts, techniques and material input to the farming and fishing industries are evaluated and actively promoted. Controls are exercised to prevent the introduction and spread of plant and livestock pests and diseases.
Low interest loans are administered by the department to help farmers and fishermen to finance their operational or long-term investment requirements. It also organises and finances vocational and technical training for those directly and indirectly involved in