ENG-2012 — Page 209

Food Safety, Environmental Hygiene, Agriculture and Fisheries

productivity and competitiveness. In 2012, the combined output of the two industries, which directly employed some 16,640 people, was $3.25 billion. Vegetables accounted for 2 per cent of local consumption; cut flowers, 29 per cent; live pigs, 7 per cent; live poultry, 60 per cent; freshwater fish, 3 per cent; and local seafood, 30 per cent.

Agricultural Industry

Hong Kong's agricultural industry focuses mainly on producing good quality fresh food crops through intensive land use. About 2 per cent of New Territories land (where most farming is done) is used for growing crops, comprising mainly vegetables and cut flowers, with a combined output in 2012 valued at about $237 million. Pigs and poultry are the principal food animals reared. In 2012, locally reared pigs earned about $265 million, while poultry, including chickens and eggs, earned about $236 million.

The AFCD encourages crop farmers to tap niche markets and to sharpen their competitiveness by cultivating safe and good quality vegetables. The department works with local organic farming groups and the Vegetable Marketing Organisation (VMO) to promote organic farming and to develop a market for organic vegetables. The department provides an organic farming support service to 204 farms located on about 80 hectares of land. The AFCD also promotes the use of greenhouse technology for intensive high-value crop production. During 2012, four improved varieties of vegetable and fruit (long-horn green pepper, round purple eggplant, yellow flesh watermelon, and potato) were introduced to farmers for cultivation in Hong Kong.

The AFCD and the VMO have managed the voluntary Accredited Farm Scheme since 1994 with the aim of providing a stable supply of high quality and safe vegetables. As at the end of 2012, 299 farms in Hong Kong, Guangdong and Ningxia Autonomous Region, spreading over 2,760 hectares of land, have been accredited under the scheme.

Leisure farms have become popular places for recreation in recent years. In collaboration with the local agricultural sector, the AFCD published a Guide to Hong Kong Leisure Farms 2012 and created a website (http://fedvmcs.org/farm_index.php) to help showcase a variety of leisure farms in Hong Kong to visitors.

Fisheries Industry

Fresh fish is one of Hong Kong's most important primary products. In 2012, fish caught and fish reared in ponds and floating cages at sea amounted to about 159,000 tonnes with a value of $2.5 billion.

Hong Kong's fishing fleet consists of some 3,990 vessels, manned by about 8,800 local fishermen and some 4,600 Mainland deckhands. The predominant fishing method is trawling, which accounted for 88 per cent of fish caught, weighing about 136,000 tonnes. Other methods. include lining, gill netting and purse-seining. The total catch in 2012 weighed 155,230 tonnes and had an estimated wholesale value of $2.32 billion. The industry provided some 57,000 tonnes of fish for local consumption during the year.

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