OVERVIEW

• Providing local consumers with high quality fresh food through intensive land use and production methods

• Small but intensive vegetable and livestock farms have taken over from the more traditional rice farming over the past decades

• Currently there are about 2,600 farms in the territory.  They employ directly about 4,700 farmers and workers

AGRICULTURAL POLICY

• Follows the general policy framework of free market. Except where social considerations are overriding, the allocation of resources in the economy is left to market forces with minimal government intervention

• The Government is responsible for the provision of basic infrastructure and technical support necessary for the development of modern, efficient, safe and environmentally acceptable farming, but leave the industries to adjust to market forces

• The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department is responsible to promote adaptive new production method and help the industries to take advantage of new market opportunities

AGRICULTURAL LAND USE

• Market gardening crop is currently one of the most important users of agricultural land. Major crops under cultivation comprise food crops including mainly of Brassica, Compositae and various aquatic vegetables, and ornamental crops such as Gladiolus, Lilium and Chrysanthemum

• By the end of 2010, the land used for vegetable, flower, field crop, and orchard are 297 ha, 153 ha, 20 ha, and 276 ha respectively

• Application Guide for Letter of Approval for Agricultural Structures
  Under the terms and conditions of land grant, a farmer who wishes to construct agricultural structures (e.g. greenhouses, livestock sheds, hatcheries, fish ponds, store rooms etc.) on leasehold agricultural land must apply to the Lands Department for a Letter of Approval for Agricultural Structures. To facilitate application by farmers, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department will receive application forms on behalf of the Lands Department and conduct preliminary processing. If an application involves commercial purpose or government land, it will be referred to the Lands Department for direct handling.

AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION

• In 2010, the local agriculture industry produces $615 million worth of produce. It comprises $232 million of crop production, $176 million of livestock production and $207 million of poultry production

• The average daily production of vegetable, live chicken and live pigs are 44 tonnes, 11,100 birds and 240 heads respectively

• In 2010, local production accounted for 2.5 percent of fresh vegetables, 56.2 percent of live poultry and 6.4 percent of live pigs consumed in the territory

• The most common crops cultivated are leafy vegetables and high-value cut flowers

• The trend of the livestock industry is towards fewer but bigger farms. Production of live pigs is the most important livestock sector and the poultry industry includes mainly production of chickens and pigeon