ENG-1972 — Page 83

PRIMARY PRODUCTION

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by the department and private afforestation is relatively unimportant. The New Territories Administration is responsible for land tenure and certain aspects of land development in the New Territories.

Research programmes of the department extend to and include crop and animal husbandry as well as fisheries. On government farms, experiments continue into improving the quality and yield per acre of strains of local vegetables, flowers and fruits. Results have been generally satisfactory. To improve quality in the field of animal husbandry, the department supplies farmers with breeding stock of pigs and poultry and also provides an artificial insemination service for pigs.

Fisheries research is carried on at the main station in Aberdeen, and sub-stations at Kat O and Au Tau. The Aberdeen station is concerned with biological and hydro- graphical research in local waters and in the northern part of the South China Sea and with aquaculture research. At the Kat O sub-station, investigations are continuing into mariculture and at the Au Tau sub-station, experiments relating to induced breeding of carp species are in hand.

Development and extension services are also provided for the agricultural and fishing industries. The main development in the agricultural industry (due primarily to rising labour costs) is the increasing interest which farmers have shown in the use of small farm machines and sprinkler irrigation. At the end of 1972, there were 279 'Landmaster' cultivators in use on fields and 209 sprinkler units on vegetable farms. With financial and technical assistance from the government, the fishing industry is in the process of further development and modernisation with the intro- duction of new vessel designs, including the 90-foot wooden pair trawler and the 76-foot long-liner. About 264 modern hull form fishing boats have so far been built, 200 with private funds and 64 with government financial aid.

Hong Kong is divided into three districts for agricultural extension. Each district is administered by a District Extension Staff, supported by teams of specialists trained to deal with farming, livestock and co-operative problems. Close contact with the farming community is maintained by means of farm advisers and by liaison with local co-operative societies and rural associations. Both credit and technical facilities are available through the extension service.

In the rural extension programme in 1972, over 1,000 farmers attended discussion groups led by professional and technical officers from the department. A restricted programme of formal training was also carried out, in which 190 farmers and farmers' sons and daughters received vocational training in a wide variety of subjects. Over 152,710 visits were made to farmers and co-operative societies by both professional and technical officers and farmers also visited government experimental farms and farming projects.

Close contact with the fishing community is maintained through an extension service, similar in scope to that provided for the agricultural industry, and by liaison with fishermen's co-operative societies. A number of these societies operate their own revolving loan fund schemes which continue to grow in size and effectiveness. Exten- sion work also included the training of fishermen for certificates of competency as