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PRIMARY PRODUCTION
Various types of fruit are grown in Hong Kong. The principal crops are longan, lychees, wampei, tangerines, local lemons, bananas and guavas. Land under orchards in 1954 totalled 390 hectares; by 1985, it was 540 hectares.
Other field crops such as sweet potatoes, taro, yams and sugar cane are cultivated on a small scale in the remote and drier areas where water and transport facilities are inadequate for growing vegetables. Some 50 hectares were under rain-fed crops in 1985 compared with 1 410 hectares in 1954.
Because there is insufficient land for extensive grazing, pigs and poultry are the principal animals reared for food. Pigs in Hong Kong are mostly crosses of local animals with exotic stock. The value of locally produced pigs killed in 1985 amounted to $365 million.
The production value of poultry, including chickens, ducks, pigeons and quails, amounted to $513 million in 1985. Local chicken production was about 14 million birds, representing 60 per cent of total consumption.=
Friesian cattle are kept by dairies, most of which are in the New Territories.
Sporadic outbreaks of a mild type of foot-and-mouth disease (Type O) and swine fever still occur, but they are kept under control by vaccination. Newcastle Disease in poultry is controlled by the use of Ranikhet and intranasal-drop vaccines. Investigations to establish the incidence of intercurrent disease in both pigs and poultry are carried out at the government's veterinary laboratory.
Stringent rabies control measures remained in force throughout the year. These include extensive immunisation of dogs and cats against rabies, intensive catching and elimination of stray dogs, and restriction of canine movement into and out of the gazetted rabies- infected area. The gazetted infected area was reduced to include only the Frontier Closed Area on April 12. No rabies had been detected in Hong Kong during the six months preceding that date. By the end of the year, 12 980 dogs had been humanely destroyed and another 28 136 licensed and inoculated against rabies.
As a standard practice, all imported dogs and cats, other than those from Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, are subject to six months' quarantine. Any dog that bites a person is required to be detained for observation in government kennels for a period of seven days. All cattle and pigs imported for food are quarantined on arrival in Hong Kong. Importation for breeding purposes is also subject to strict control.
In view of the increasing awareness of agricultural pollution, the department also provides technical advice to farmers and other government departments on agricultural waste control matters.
Fishing Industry
sectors
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Marine fish constitute one of Hong Kong's most important primary products. More than 150 fish species of commercial importance frequent the waters of the adjacent continental shelf. Most important of these in terms of landed weight are golden thread, scads, lizardfishes, big-eyes, croakers and squids. Total estimated production from the two major amounted to 196 000 tonnes with a marine capture and culture fisheries wholesale value of $1,810 million in 1985. These figures represent a decrease of two per cent in weight but an increase of three per cent in value compared with 1984. Of the total production, 96 per cent in weight came from marine capture and four per cent from culture fisheries. In terms of wholesale value, 90 per cent came from marine capture and 10 per cent from culture fisheries.
An estimated 24 000 fishermen work the fleet of nearly 4 700 vessels, of which over 83 per cent are mechanised. There are four major types of fishing in terms of gear: trawling, lining,
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