Agriculture and aquaculture in Hong Kong are considered sunset industries. Most agricultural produce is directly imported from the neighbouring

mainland China "Mainland China" is a geopolitical term defined as the territory governed by the People's Republic of China (including islands like Hainan or Chongming), excluding dependent territories of the PRC, and other territories within Greater China. ...

. In 2006 the industry accounts for less than 0.3% of the labour sector. Geographically Hong Kong consists largely of steep, unproductive hillside. The local aquaculture industry is also facing challenges from competition with imported aquatic food products and concern of fish and seafood safety.Hong Kong Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department.
Fish Aqu
." ''Fishing Aquaculture.'' Retrieved on 3 April 2007.

History

In the

Colonial Hong Kong Hong Kong was a colony and later a dependent territory of the British Empire from 1841 to 1997, apart from a period of occupation under the Japanese Empire from 1941 to 1945 during the Pacific War. The colonial period began with the British ...

era around the 1850s, agriculture in Hong Kong consisted mostly of

revenue farm Farming or tax-farming is a technique of financial management in which the management of a variable revenue stream is assigned by legal contract to a third party and the holder of the revenue stream receives fixed periodic rents from the contract ...

s that focused on

opium Opium (or poppy tears, scientific name: ''Lachryma papaveris'') is dried latex obtained from the seed capsules of the opium poppy ''Papaver somniferum''. Approximately 12 percent of opium is made up of the analgesic alkaloid morphine, which i ...

productions. The industry led to many wealthy Chinese businessmen, who established themselves as the middlemen merchants with international connection. Some of the successful farmers included Yan Wo Hong and Wo Hang Hong from 1858 to 1887. The system was discontinued by colonial authorities, when the economy needed to diversify in other activities. The last opium farm ended in 1913. One of the farms founded in the era was Hong Kong Dairy Farm in 1886. As

Hong Kong government The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, commonly known as the Hong Kong Government or HKSAR Government, refers to the Executive (government), executive authorities of Hong Kong Special administrative regions of China, ...

favour the transition into a

secondary sector In macroeconomics, the secondary sector of the economy is an economic sector in the three-sector theory that describes the role of manufacturing. It encompasses industries that produce a finished, usable product or are involved in construction. ...

, and eventually a

tertiary sector The tertiary sector of the economy, generally known as the service sector, is the third of the three economic sectors in the three-sector model (also known as the economic cycle). The others are the primary sector (raw materials) and the second ...

, agriculture became a reduced segment.

Organic Farming Organic farming, also known as ecological farming or biological farming,Labelling, article 30 o''Regulation (EU) 2018/848 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 on organic production and labelling of organic products and re ...

was introduced in 1988.Hong Kong Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department.
Organic Farming
." ''Organic Farming in Hong Kong.'' Retrieved on 20 March 2007. An Accredited Farm Scheme for protecting the environment and consumers against residues of agricultural

pesticide Pesticides are substances that are meant to control pests. This includes herbicide, insecticide, nematicide, molluscicide, piscicide, avicide, rodenticide, bactericide, insect repellent, animal repellent, microbicide, fungicide, and lampri ...

s was introduced in 1994. Accredited farms strictly monitor and supervise the uses of pesticides, and produce are further analysed for chemical remnants before they are sold at accredited retail outlets. In 1994 the agriculture and fisheries industry represented 2.7% of the work force and just a mere 0.2% of the total GDP.Genzberger. Christine A.

994 Year 994 ( CMXCIV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * September 15 – Battle of the Orontes: Fatimid forces, under Turkish gener ...

(1994). Hong Kong Business: The Portable Encyclopedia for Doing Business with Hong Kong. World Trade Press. .

Consumption

Statistically, Hong Kong can only produce enough for 20% of the local population without depending on mainland imports. In the mid-1990s, 50% of Hong Kong's water resources were still purchased from the mainland. Hong Kong has always depended heavily on imports. The dependency on imports has increased steadily, since the ratio of population growth far exceed agricultural production numbers. In 2007, Hong Kong's population of almost 7 million daily consumed the following. In 2012, Hong Kong's population of more than 7.1 millionPopulation
Hong Kong Facts
" ''Population.'' Retrieved on 23 February 2014. daily consumed:

Resources

Agriculture

In 2006, there were 2,100 farms in the territory, employing directly about 5,300 farmers and workers.Hong Kong Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department.

." ''Agriculture in HK.'' Retrieved on 20 March 2007. By the end of 2005, the land used for vegetable, flower, field crop, and

orchard An orchard is an intentional plantation of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit- or nut-producing trees which are generally grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of larg ...

are 330 ha, 190 ha, 30 ha, and 290 ha respectively. A fact sheet published in 2014 estimates that only 7 square kilometres of land in Hong Kong are actively farmed.Agriculture and Fisheries.
Hong Kong Facts
" ''Agriculture and Fisheries.'' Retrieved on 23 February 2014.

Fishing

Hong Kong's fishing activities are conducted mainly in the waters of the adjacent continental shelf in the

South South is one of the cardinal directions or Points of the compass, compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Pro ...

and

East China Sea The East China Sea is an arm of the Western Pacific Ocean, located directly offshore from East China. It covers an area of roughly . The sea’s northern extension between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula is the Yellow Sea, separated b ...

s. They extend over a 160 kilometre wide section of this shelf between the

Gulf of Tonkin The Gulf of Tonkin is a gulf at the northwestern portion of the South China Sea, located off the coasts of Tonkin (northern Vietnam) and South China. It has a total surface area of . It is defined in the west and northwest by the northern ...

and the East China Sea. The majority of the

fishing vessel A fishing vessel is a boat or ship used to catch fish in the sea, or on a lake or river. Many different kinds of vessels are used in commercial, artisanal and recreational fishing. The total number of fishing vessels in the world in 2016 was es ...

s are manned by family members with the assistance of hired crew. Main fishing methods include

trawling Trawling is a method of fishing that involves pulling a fishing net through the water behind one or more boats. The net used for trawling is called a trawl. This principle requires netting bags which are towed through water to catch different speci ...

long-lining Longline fishing, or longlining, is a commercial fishing angling technique that uses a long ''main line'' with baited hooks attached at intervals via short branch lines called ''snoods'' or ''gangions''.gill-netting and purse-seining with the majority of the total catch obtained through trawling.Hong Kong Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department.
HK gov
." ''Fisheries latest.'' Retrieved on 3 April 2007. The industry now consists of some 4,150

s and some 9,200

fishermen A fisher or fisherman is someone who captures fish and other animals from a body of water, or gathers shellfish. Worldwide, there are about 38 million commercial and subsistence fishers and fish farmers. Fishers may be professional or recreat ...

working abroad and provides employment in ancillary sectors servicing the fishing industry, such as fish wholesale and retail marketing, fuel and fishing gear supply and ice manufacturing

Fish farming

There are 26 designated marine

fish culture upright=1.3, Salmon farming in the sea (mariculture) at Loch Ainort, Isle of Skye">mariculture.html" ;"title="Salmon farming in the sea (mariculture">Salmon farming in the sea (mariculture) at Loch Ainort, Isle of Skye, Scotland Fish farming or ...

zones in Hong Kong. Fishermen required to obtain license to operate fish farms inside those zones. The 26 fish culture zones are: *

Sha Tau Kok Hoi Starling Inlet or Sha Tau Kok Hoi () is a harbour in northeast New Territories, Hong Kong. The whole body of water falls within the Closed Area and generally restricted to local residents. Features Settlements around the harbour include: Sha Ta ...

Ap Chau Ap Chau (), also known as Robinson Island, with a size of 0.04 km² is an island in the Crooked Harbour, in the north-eastern New Territories of Hong Kong. It is located in Ap Chau Bay (; Ap Chau Hoi). Islets located close by include A ...

Kat O Kat O () also named Crooked Island, is an island in Northeast Hong Kong. Administration Administratively, Kat O is part of North District. It is a recognized village under the New Territories Small House Policy. Geography Kat O is located in ...

O Pui Tong Kat O () also named Crooked Island, is an island in Northeast Hong Kong. Administration Administratively, Kat O is part of North District. It is a recognized village under the New Territories Small House Policy. Geography Kat O is located in ...

Sai Lau Kong Sai Lau Kong () is a village in the Sha Tau Kok area of North District of Hong Kong. Features The Sai Lau Kong Fish Culture Zone (), one of the 26 designated marine fish culture upright=1.3, Salmon farming in the sea (mariculture) at Loch Ain ...

Wong Wan Double Island or Wong Wan Chau () is an island located in the north-eastern part of Hong Kong. Administratively, it is part of North District, Hong Kong, North District. Geography Double Island has an area of 2.13 km². It is the second ...

Tap Mun Grass Island or Tap Mun is an island in Hong Kong, located in the northeastern part of the territory. Its area is . Administratively, it is part of the Tai Po District. There are about 100 people living on the island, and feral cattle are know ...

Kau Lau Wan Ko Lau Wan () aka. Kau Lau Wan () is a remote village in the north of Sai Kung Peninsula, Hong Kong. Administratively, it is under the jurisdiction of Tai Po District. Administration Kau Lau Wan is a recognised village under the New Territories ...

Sham Wan Sham may refer to: Arabic use * Al-Sham or Shām (شام), the historical name for the Greater Syria region, now most commonly known as the Levant or the eastern Mediterranean, including the modern countries of Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Israel ...

Lo Fu Wat Lo may refer to any of the following: Arts and entertainment * '' Lo!'', the third published nonfiction work of the author Charles Fort * L.O., a fictional character in the Playhouse Disney show Happy Monster Band * ''Lo'' (film), a 2009 indep ...

Yung Shue O Yung Shue O () is a village of Sai Kung North, in Tai Po District, Hong Kong, located near the shore of Three Fathoms Cove. Administration Fat Tau Chau is a recognized village under the New Territories Small House Policy. Features A section of ...

Leung Shuen Wan High Island or Leung Shuen Wan Chau () is a former island located in the southeast of Sai Kung Peninsula in Hong Kong. It historically had an area of 8.511 km² and was the 4th largest island of Hong Kong in 1960. The island is now conne ...

Tiu Cham Wan Tiu may refer to: * Tiu (pharaoh) (4th millennium BC), predynastic Pharaoh of Lower Egypt *Týr, as the Old English name for the Sky-God of Norse (Germanic) Mythology * Tiu, the Babylonian fiend of headache *Ţiu, a village in Cernăteşti Commune, ...

* Tai Tau Chau * Kai Lung Wan *

Kau Sai Kau Sai Chau is an island located off the coast of Sai Kung Peninsula, Hong Kong, with an area of 6.70km², making it the 6th largest island of Hong Kong. It is under the administration of Sai Kung District. The island was formerly known ...

* Ma Nam Wat *

Po Toi O Po Toi O () is a small fishing village at Clear Water Bay Peninsula, Sai Kung, New Territories, Hong Kong. The village is situated at a bay shaped like a sack, thus earning its name Po Toi (meaning a "sack"). Administration Po Toi O is a rec ...

Po Toi Po Toi (commonly , originally ) is the main island of the Po Toi Islands and the southernmost island of Hong Kong, with an area of 3.69 km². Name It is said that the island used to produce dried seaweeds (), which were shaped like the catt ...

Sok Kwu Wan 250px, Sok Kwu Wan viewed from Lamma Island walk Sok Kwu Wan () or Picnic Bay () is a bay on the east coast of Lamma Island, Hong Kong. A fishing town of the same name, Sok Kwu Wan, in the bay has a cluster of famous and well-reputed seafood res ...

Lo Tik Wan Lo Tik Wan () is a village on Lamma Island, the third largest island in the territory of Hong Kong. Administration Lo Tik Wan is a recognized village under the New Territories Small House Policy The Small House Policy (SHP, ) was introduced ...

Ma Wan Ma Wan is an island of Hong Kong, located between Lantau Island and Tsing Yi Island, with an area of .Yim Tin Tsai * eastern Yim Tin Tsai, Tai Po District * Cheung Sha Wan, Lantau Island *

Tung Lung Chau Tung Lung Chau, previously known as Nam Tong Island or Nam Fat Tong is an island located off the tip of the Clear Water Bay Peninsula in the New Territories of Hong Kong. It is also referred by Hong Kong people as Tung Lung To or Tung Lung Islan ...

Some of the fish rafts had converted to recreation use. They are located in 11 out of 26 fish culture zones listed above. The production from the aquaculture sector has evolved over time: 563 tonnes in 1977, 3,000 tonnes in 1989, 3,284 tonnes in 2019.

Local production

Agriculture industry produced HK$1,180 million worth of produce in 2005. It comprises HK$264 million of crop production, HK$554 million of livestock production and KH$360 million of poultry production. The average daily production of vegetable, live chicken and live pigs are 67 tonnes, 32,000 birds and 1,030 heads respectively. In 2005, local production accounted for 4% of fresh vegetables, 52% of live poultry and 18% of live pigs consumed in the territory. In 2012, the gross value of local agricultural production totalled $766 million. 1.9 per cent of the vegetables Hong Kong people consumed, together with 60 per cent of the live poultry and 7 per cent of the live pigs, come from local farms. Aquaculture includes marine fish culture, pond fish culture and oyster culture. In 2005 production from the aquaculture sector was 3,725 tonnes valued at HK$120 million which was 2.2 per cent in weight and 6.7 per cent in value of the total fisheries production.Hong Kong Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department.
HK gov
." ''Fisheries mpo.'' Retrieved on 3 April 2007. Data collected in 2012 shows the total amount of land occupied for Fish ponds total 1,130 hectares and are mainly located in north-western New Territories. About 990 licensees units are engaged in marine fish culture. Common species cultured include green grouper, brown-spotted grouper, Russell's snapper, mangrove snapper, cobia and pompano. Total marine fish culture production in 2012 amounted to 1 299 tonnes, valued at $117 million.

Principal crops

The value of crop production amounted to $272 million in 2003. Vegetable and

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

production account for about 97% of the total value, being $264 million in 2003. Vegetable crops grown all year round include white

cabbage Cabbage, comprising several cultivars of ''Brassica oleracea'', is a leafy green, red (purple), or white (pale green) biennial plant grown as an annual vegetable crop for its dense-leaved heads. It is descended from the wild cabbage ( ''B.&nb ...

, flowering cabbage, lettuce,

Chinese kale Gai lan, kai-lan, Chinese broccoli, Chinese kale, or jie lan (''Brassica oleracea'' var. ''alboglabra'') is a leaf vegetable with thick, flat, glossy blue-green leaves with thick stems, and florets similar to (but much smaller than) broccoli. ...

radish The radish (''Raphanus raphanistrum'' subsp. ''sativus'') is an Eating, edible root vegetable of the family Brassicaceae that was domesticated in Asia prior to Roman Empire, Roman times. Radishes are grown and consumed throughout the world, be ...

, leaf

mustard Mustard may refer to: Food and plants * Mustard (condiment), a paste or sauce made from mustard seeds used as a condiment * Mustard plant, one of several plants, having seeds that are used for the condiment ** Mustard seed, seeds of the mustard p ...

spring onion Scallions (also known as spring onions or green onions) are vegetables derived from various species in the genus ''Allium''. Scallions generally have a milder taste than most onions and their close relatives include garlic, shallot, leek, chi ...

and

chive Chives, scientific name ''Allium schoenoprasum'', is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaryllidaceae that produces edible leaves and flowers. Their close relatives include the common onions, garlic, shallot, leek, scallion, and C ...

Spinach Spinach (''Spinacia oleracea'') is a leafy green flowering plant native to central and western Asia. It is of the order Caryophyllales, family Amaranthaceae, subfamily Chenopodioideae. Its leaves are a common edible vegetable consumed either f ...

watercress Watercress or yellowcress (''Nasturtium officinale'') is a species of aquatic flowering plant in the cabbage family Brassicaceae. Watercress is a rapidly growing perennial plant native to Europe and Asia. It is one of the oldest known leaf ve ...

, and matrimony vine are produced in the cooler months. Yardlong beans,

water spinach ''Ipomoea aquatica'', widely known as water spinach, is a semi- aquatic, tropical plant grown as a vegetable for its tender shoots. ''I. aquatica'' is generally believed to have been first domesticated in Southeast Asia. It is widely cultivate ...

amaranth ''Amaranthus'' is a cosmopolitan genus of annual or short-lived perennial plants collectively known as amaranths. Some amaranth species are cultivated as leaf vegetables, pseudocereals, and ornamental plants. Catkin-like cymes of densely pack ...

cucumber Cucumber (''Cucumis sativus'') is a widely-cultivated Vine#Horticultural climbing plants, creeping vine plant in the Cucurbitaceae family that bears usually cylindrical Fruit, fruits, which are used as culinary vegetables.

, and several species of Chinese

gourd Gourds include the fruits of some flowering plant species in the family Cucurbitaceae, particularly ''Cucurbita'' and ''Lagenaria''. The term refers to a number of species and subspecies, many with hard shells, and some without. One of the earli ...

are produced in summer. A wide range of temperate vegetables including tomato,

sweet pepper The bell pepper (also known as paprika, sweet pepper, pepper, or capsicum ) is the fruit of plants in the Grossum Group of the species ''Capsicum annuum''. Cultivars of the plant produce fruits in different colors, including red, yellow, orange ...

cauliflower Cauliflower is one of several vegetables in the species ''Brassica oleracea'' in the genus ''Brassica'', which is in the Brassicaceae (or mustard) family. It is an annual plant that reproduces by seed. Typically, only the head is eaten – the ...

, carrot, and

celery Celery (''Apium graveolens'') is a marshland plant in the family Apiaceae that has been cultivated as a vegetable since antiquity. Celery has a long fibrous stalk tapering into leaves. Depending on location and cultivar, either its stalks, lea ...

are grown in winter. Flower cultivation has gained importance in recent years.

Gladiolus ''Gladiolus'' (from Latin, the diminutive of ''gladius'', a sword) is a genus of perennial cormous flowering plants in the iris family (Iridaceae). It is sometimes called the 'sword lily', but is usually called by its generic name (plural ''g ...

lily ''Lilium'' () is a genus of Herbaceous plant, herbaceous flowering plants growing from bulbs, all with large prominent flowers. They are the true lilies. Lilies are a group of flowering plants which are important in culture and literature in mu ...

, and

chrysanthemum Chrysanthemums (), sometimes called mums or chrysanths, are flowering plants of the genus ''Chrysanthemum'' in the family Asteraceae. They are native to East Asia and northeastern Europe. Most species originate from East Asia and the center ...

are grown in winter; and ginger lily and lotus flower in summer.

Peach The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and cultivated in Zhejiang province of Eastern China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and others (the glossy-skinned, non-fu ...

blossom is grown especially for the

Lunar New Year Lunar New Year is the beginning of a calendar year whose months are moon cycles, based on the lunar calendar or lunisolar calendar. The Lunar New Year as a celebration is observed by numerous cultures. It is also named " Chinese New Year" becau ...

. A wide range of fruit is grown on the lower hill slopes, the main types being

lychee Lychee (US: ; UK: ; ''Litchi chinensis''; ) is a Monotypic taxon, monotypic taxon and the sole member in the genus ''Litchi'' in the Sapindus, soapberry family, ''Sapindaceae''. It is a tropical tree native to Southeast and Southwest China (t ...

longan ''Dimocarpus longan'', commonly known as the longan () and dragon's eye, is a tropical tree species that produces edible fruit. It is one of the better-known tropical members of the soapberry family Sapindaceae, to which the lychee and rambut ...

, wampei, local lemon, orange,

tangerine The tangerine is a type of citrus fruit that is orange in color. Its scientific name varies. It has been treated as a separate species under the name ''Citrus tangerina'' or ''Citrus'' × ''tangerina'', or treated as a variety of ''Citrus retic ...

guava Guava () is a common tropical fruit cultivated in many tropical and subtropical regions. The common guava ''Psidium guajava'' (lemon guava, apple guava) is a small tree in the myrtle family ( Myrtaceae), native to Mexico, Central America, the ...

papaya The papaya (, ), papaw, () or pawpaw () is the plant species ''Carica papaya'', one of the 21 accepted species in the genus ''Carica'' of the family Caricaceae. It was first domesticated in Mesoamerica, within modern-day southern Mexico and ...

and banana.

Animal husbandry

There were 281 local pig farms and 205 local poultry farms in 2004. During 2003, local pig production was valued at $527 million and local poultry production, including

pigeons Columbidae () is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. They primarily ...

and

eggs Humans and human ancestors have scavenged and eaten animal eggs for millions of years. Humans in Southeast Asia had domesticated chickens and harvested their eggs for food by 1,500 BCE. The most widely consumed eggs are those of fowl, especial ...

was valued at $250 million. Pigs raised on local farms are crosses derived from Duroc,

Landrace A landrace is a domesticated, locally adapted, often traditional variety of a species of animal or plant that has developed over time, through adaptation to its natural and cultural environment of agriculture and pastoralism, and due to isolation ...

and Large White parent stock. The majority of local chickens raised on farms are Shek Ki cross bred chickens. Recently, brand name chickens like Ka Mei chickens and Tai on chickens have been introduced to local market by local investors. There are two

dairies A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting or processing (or both) of animal milk – mostly from cows or buffaloes, but also from goats, sheep, horses, or camels – for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on a ...

in active operation with a total herd population of less than 50 cows.

Aquaculture and fishing

The commercially important marine species are

bigeye The Priacanthidae, the bigeyes, are a family of 18 species of marine ray-finned fishes. " Catalufa" is an alternate common name for some members of the Priacanthidae. The etymology of the scientific name (, to bite + , thorn) refers to the fam ...

, golden thread, croaker, horse-head and

pomfret Pomfrets are perciform fishes belonging to the family Bramidae. The family currently includes 20 species across seven genera. Several species are important food sources for humans, especially ''Brama brama'' in South Asia. The earlier form of t ...

. The total capture fisheries and marine fish culture production is equivalent to about 31% of seafood consumed in Hong Kong, while pond fish farmers produce about 6% of the

freshwater Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. Although the term specifically excludes seawater and brackish water, it does include ...

fish eaten. The majority of fish farms in

New Territories The New Territories is one of the three main regions of Hong Kong, alongside Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula. It makes up 86.2% of Hong Kong's territory, and contains around half of the population of Hong Kong. Historically, it ...

are engaged in

carp Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish from the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. While carp is consumed in many parts of the world, they are generally considered an invasive species in parts of ...

polyculture In agriculture, polyculture is the practice of growing more than one crop species in the same space, at the same time. In doing this, polyculture attempts to mimic the diversity of natural ecosystems. Polyculture is the opposite of monoculture, i ...

(

bighead carp The bighead carp (''Hypophthalmichthys nobilis'') is a species of cyprinid freshwater fish native to East Asia, and is one of several Asian carps introduced into North America. It is one of the most intensively exploited fishes in fish farming, ...

silver carp The silver carp (''Hypophthalmichthys molitrix'') is a species of freshwater cyprinid fish, a variety of Asian carp native to China and eastern Siberia, from the Amur River drainage in the north to the Xi Jiang River drainage in the south. Alt ...

common carp The Eurasian carp or European carp (''Cyprinus carpio''), widely known as the common carp, is a widespread freshwater fish of eutrophic waters in lakes and large rivers in Europe and Asia.Fishbase''Cyprinus carpio'' Linnaeus, 1758/ref>Arkive The ...

and

grass carp The grass carp (''Ctenopharyngodon idella'') is a species of large herbivorous freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae, native to the Pacific Far East, with a native range stretching from northern Vietnam to the Amur River on the Sino-Russian ...

) in combination with

tilapia Tilapia ( ) is the common name for nearly a hundred species of cichlid fish from the coelotilapine, coptodonine, heterotilapine, oreochromine, pelmatolapiine, and tilapiine tribes (formerly all were "Tilapiini"), with the economically most ...

or grey mullet as the major species. Other cultured species include

seabreams The Sparidae are a family of fish in the order Perciformes, commonly called sea breams and porgies. The sheepshead, scup, and red seabream are species in this family. Most sparids are deep-bodied compressed fish with a small mouth separated by a ...

and

spotted scat ''Scatophagus argus'', the spotted scat, butterfish, mia mia, spotted butterfish or tiger scat, is a species of fish in the scat family Scatophagidae. It occurs in two basic color morphs which are called green scat and ruby or red scat. This fis ...

. At present there are 26 fish culture zones designated under the ''"Marine Fish Culture Ordinance"''. Common species cultured include green

grouper Groupers are fish of any of a number of genera in the subfamily Epinephelinae of the family Serranidae, in the order Perciformes. Not all serranids are called "groupers"; the family also includes the sea basses. The common name "grouper" is u ...

, brownspotted grouper, Russell's snapper,

mangrove snapper The mangrove snapper or gray snapper (''Lutjanus griseus'') is a species of snapper native to the western Atlantic Ocean from Massachusetts to Brazil, the Gulf of Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean Sea. The species can be found in a wide varie ...

cobia The cobia (''Rachycentron canadum'') is a species of carangiform marine fish, the only extant representative of the genus ''Rachycentron'' and the family Rachycentridae. Other common names include black kingfish, black salmon, ling, lemonfis ...

and

pompano Pompanos ( ) are marine fishes in the genus ''Trachinotus'' in the family Carangidae (better known as "jacks"). Pompano may also refer to various other, similarly shaped members of the Carangidae, or the order Perciformes. Their appearance is o ...

. The voluntary "Accredited Fish Farm Scheme" has been launched to assist local fish farmers.

Agricultural development

The

Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (; formerly the Agriculture and Fisheries Department () before 2000, of the Hong Kong Government is responsible for agriculture and fisheries in Hong Kong, conservation projects and issu ...

and its closely related marketing organisations provide infrastructural support and technical services to the various primary industries. The department's crop specialists undertake studies into practical problems in pest control, crop husbandry and

soil management Soil management is the application of operations, practices, and treatments to protect soil and enhance its performance (such as soil fertility or soil mechanics). It includes soil conservation, soil amendment, and optimal soil health. In agricult ...

. They also investigate specific production technologies to enhance the efficiency and economic benefits of the industry. This work is carried out in an experimental station in

Sheung Shui Sheung Shui (, literally "Above-water") is an area in the New Territories, Hong Kong. Sheung Shui Town, a part of this area, is part of the Fanling–Sheung Shui New Town in the North District of Hong Kong. Fanling Town is to its southea ...

and results are made available to farmers by the department's advisory service. Agricultural advisory activities are aimed at assisting farmers to improve productivity through the introduction of new and improved produce varieties and production techniques, backed up by adequate credit facilities and efficient and orderly marketing services. Studies are currently under way to adapt and develop greenhouse and organic production technology for local farms. Examples of well-received new produce varieties are: supersweet maize, heat tolerant lettuce, coloured

spaghetti squash Spaghetti squash or vegetable spaghetti is a group of cultivars of ''Cucurbita pepo'' subsp. ''pepo''. They are available in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colours, including ivory, yellow and orange, with orange having the highest amount of c ...

strawberry The garden strawberry (or simply strawberry; ''Fragaria × ananassa'') is a widely grown hybrid species of the genus '' Fragaria'', collectively known as the strawberries, which are cultivated worldwide for their fruit. The fruit is widely ap ...

and white bitter cucumber. Loans issued to farmers in 2003 amounted to $19 million and the total value of loans issued up to 31 December 2003 (under three separate loan funds administered by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department was $505 million. These loans are granted to cover farm production and development purposes.

References

External links

Hong Kong Agriculture and Fisheries Conservation Department

Hong Kong Fish Marketing Organization
{{DEFAULTSORT:Agriculture And Aquaculture In Hong Kong