PRIMARY PRODUCTION
Class
(i) Urban built-up lands
Approximate area (square kilometres)
Percentage of whole
102
83
9.6
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) includ- ing 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.
(ii) Rural developed lands
74
6.9
(iii) Woodlands
125
11.7
(iv) Grass and scrub lands
625
58.5
(v) Badlands
45
4.2
=
(vi) Swamp and mangrove lands (vii) Arable
1
0.1
75
7.0
(viii) Fish ponds
21
2.0
Agricultural Industry
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 a reasonable proportion of Hong Kong's food supply is produced locally.
Common crops are vegetables, flowers, fruit and other field crops. The value of crop production has increased from $93 million in 1963 to $447 million in 1985. Vegetable production accounts for more than 79 per cent of the total value, having increased from $64 million in 1963 to $356 million in 1985.
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 nurseries. Peach blossom and ornamental citrus are grown specially for the Lunar New Year. The area of land under vegetables and flowers increased from 910 hectares in 1954 to 4 790 hectares in 1976 but has since declined gradually to 2 720 hectares in 1985, mainly as a result of new town development.
The amount of land used to cultivate rice has dropped from 9 450 hectares in 1954 to less than 10 hectares in 1985. Rice production has given way to intensive vegetable production, which gives a far higher return.
Much former paddy land around the more remote villages has fallen into disuse and now lies fallow.