PRIMARY PRODUCTION
Land Usage
117
Hong Kong's land area totals 1067 square kilometres. Of this, 9.0 per cent is used for farming, 74.7 per cent is marginal land with different degrees of sub-grade character, and built-up areas comprise the remaining 16.3 per cent. The need to establish new towns and expand residential areas in the New Territories has resulted in an encroachment on agricultural land. The effect of the losses in the total area of agricultural land, however, has been offset by more intensive farming on remaining areas. The Lands Department is responsible for land administration throughout Hong Kong.
Class
(i) Urban built-up lands
Approximate area (square kilometres)
Percentage of whole
100
9.4
(ii) Rural developed lands
74
6.9
(iii) Woodlands
125
11.7
(iv) Grass and scrub lands
625
58.6
(v) Badlands
46
4.3
(vi) Swamp and mangrove lands (vii) Arable
1
0.1
75
7.0
(viii) Fish ponds
Agricultural Industry
21
2.0
Remarks
Main urban area of Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and six new towns in the New Territories (Tsuen Wan, Tuen Mun, Yuen Long, Fanling, Tai Po and Sha Tin) including district open space (parks and gardens) but excluding all other non-built- up land.
Rural market towns and villages and other developed sites in the New Territories such as reservoirs, roads and railways. Natural and established woodlands. Natural grass and scrub lands, including those
within country parks.
Stripped of cover. Denuded granite country.
Capable of regeneration.
Coastal brackish swamp and mangrove. Cultivable lands, including orchards and market gardens, under cultivation and fallow.
Fresh and brackish water fish farming exclud- ing coastal marine fish farms but including fallow farms.
The government's policy is to foster the development of the agricultural industry in Hong Kong, bearing in mind priorities in land usage and the economics of food production and supply in the region. Its objective is to ensure that the proportion of Hong Kong's food supply produced locally is maintained at a reasonable level.
Common crops are vegetables, flowers, fruit and other field crops. The value of crop production has increased from $93 million in 1963 to $460 million in 1984. Vegetable production accounts for more than 31 per cent of the total value, having increased from $64 million in 1963 to $364 million in 1984.
The main vegetable crops are white cabbage, flowering cabbage, lettuce, Chinese kale, radish, watercress, leaf mustard, spring onion and chives. They grow throughout the year, with peak production in the cooler months. Water spinach, string beans, Chinese spinach, green cucumber and many species of Chinese gourd are produced in summer. A wide range of exotic temperate vegetables including tomato, sweet pepper, cabbage, celery, head lettuce, cauliflower and carrot is grown in winter. Straw mushroom is also produced, using industrial cotton waste as the growing medium.
Among the common types of flowers, gladioli and chrysanthemums grow throughout the year; dahlias, roses, asters, snapdragons and carnations are produced in winter; ginger lilies and lotus flowers in summer. A wide range of ornamental plants including philodendrons, dieffenbachia, bamboo palms and poinsettia - is produced in commercial