SUNDAY, GOVEMBER 6, 1983
STATISTICS AFTER 1981 ARE NOT AVAILABLE YET, BUT AN ECONOMICS OFFICER OF THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT SAID IT WAS EVIDENT THAT THE FARMING POPULATION AND THE CULTIVATED LAND AREA HAD DECLINED FURTHER OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS.
+PRODUCTIVITY, ON THE OTHER HAND, HAS CONTINUED TO RISE, EXERCISING A STABILISING EFFECT ON THE PRICES OF IMPORTED FOODSTUFF WHICH WOULD OTHERWISE BE CONSIDERABLY HIGHER TODAY, THE DEPARTMENT'S AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS OFFICER, MR ANDREW TSE, SAID.
EVEN THOUGH FARMERS MAKE UP LESS THAN ONE PER CENT OF HONG KONG'S ECONOMICALLY ACTIVE POPULATION, LAST YEAR THEIR OUTPUT TOOK UP 29 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL DOMESTIC CONSUMPTION OF FARM PRODUCTS, UP FROM 28 PER CENT A DECADE AGO.
TO ENCOURAGE THE USE OF SCIENTIFIC METHODS, THE DEPARTMENT PROVIDES TECHNICAL AND ADVISORY SERVICES TO LOCAL FARMERS THROUGH FARM VISITS AND ITS EIGHT AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT OFFICES THROUGHOUT THE NEW TERRITORIES.
IT ALSO OFFERS LOW-INTEREST LOANS FOR FARM LAND FORMATION, NEW AGRICULTURAL PROJECTS AND THE PURCHASE OF MACHINERY AND FARMING MATERIALS GENERALLY.
SO FAR THIS YEAR, FOR INSTANCE, SOME $12 MILLION HAS BEEN LENT TO FARMERS UNDER THE THREE AGRICULTURAL FUNDS ADMINISTERED BY THE DEPARTMENT.
OVER THE YEARS, MORE AND MORE FARMERS HERE HAVE ADOPTED LABOUR-SAVING DEVICES, SUCH AS MECHANICAL CULTIVATORS AND SPRINKLERS AND AUTOMATIC FEEDERS, PLUS IMPROVED METHODS OF CROP HUSBANDRY AND FARM MANAGEMENT.
CROPS AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCED IN HONG KONG NOW TOTAL MORE THAN $1.5 BILLION A YEAR, AFTER GROWING AT AN ANNUAL RATE OF ABOUT NINE PER CENT IN RECENT YEARS.
+FARMERS HERE TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF LOCAL CONSUMERS' PREFERENCE FOR FRESH FOOD, AS OPPOSED TO FROZEN AND CANNED FOOD. THIS PREFERENCE ENCOURAGES THE PRODUCTION OF HIGHLY PERISHABLE GOOD QUALITY AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS WHICH CAN BE TRANSPORTED AND MARKETED AT COMPARATIVELY LOW COST, MR TSE POINTED OUT.
HE CITED STRAW MUSHROOMS WHICH ARE IN STRONG DEMAND AND CAN
BE KEPT FRESH FOR ONLY A FEW HOURS IN SUMMER.
THEIR OUTPUT HAS BEEN GROWING RAPIDLY SINCE 1977 WHEN MASS PRODUCTION WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE USE OF COTTON WASTE AS THE GROWING MEDIUM.
AT THE MOMENT, BECAUSE OF THE LIKELY SHORTAGE OF COTTON WASTE, THE DEPARTMENT IS CONDUCTING RESEARCH ON THE USE OF OTHER BIODEGRADABLE WASTE AS AN ALTERNATIVE MEDIUM FOR GROWING STRAW MUSHROOMS.
VEGETABLE CULTIVATION WITH ITS SIX TO SEVEN CROPPINGS A YEAR, YIELDS HIGH RETURNS AND HAS LONG REPLACED RICE GROWING.
/LOCAL FARMERS