ENG-1968 — Page 113

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PRIMARY PRODUCTION

wetter areas ducks are raised for home consumption and for export. The rearing of ducks for the local market has become increasingly important in recent years and was worth about $8.8 million this year. Pigeon-keeping is practised on a limited scale and prices in 1968 averaged $8 for a pair of squabs. The total value of squabs marketed during the year was estimated at $3 million. The most popular type of table bird is the White King crossed with the Homer.

Local brown cattle and buffaloes are kept for work purposes and surplus stock is sold for slaughter. Chinese brown cattle are particularly well suited to the local environment and management. The dairy cattle in Hong Kong are mainly Friesians and are kept in isolation on one large farm on Hong Kong Island and in smaller farm groups on the outskirts of Kowloon and in the New Territories. All dairy animals are regularly tested and must pass the single intradermal (comparative) test for tuberculosis. During 1968 pro- duction was about 14.5 million pounds of milk, valued at $1.20 a pound.

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The Colony continued to be free from rabies and rinderpest. The incidence of foot-and-mouth disease was not serious, though there were some 310 outbreaks of a mild type in both cattle and pigs. About 1,373 cattle and pigs were inoculated against foot- and-mouth disease types 'O' and 'A', 60,763 pigs against swine fever and some 4,348 cattle against rinderpest, with locally produced vaccine. In all, 29,502,000 doses of Ranikhet vaccine and 1,898,000 doses of intra-nasal-drop vaccine were used for the prevention of Newcastle disease in poultry.

FORESTRY

The Agriculture and Fisheries Department is responsible for forestry generally, and for the direct afforestation of water catchment areas, protection of vegetation on Crown lands, assistance to village forestry and amenity planting in catchment areas. Hillsides are predominantly grass covered, with a thicker cover of shrubs in some places and patches of scrub forest in remoter and less accessible areas. Thickly-wooded areas also occur where the vegetation has been protected against cutting and fire, as on Hong Kong Island and around villages. Villagers cut grass for fuel and this practice,