Agriculture and aquaculture in Hong Kong are considered sunset industries. Most agricultural produce is directly imported from the neighbouring mainland 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.
History
In the Colonial Hong Kong era around the 1850s, agriculture in Hong Kong consisted mostly of revenue farms that focused on opium 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 favour the transition into a secondary sector, and eventually a tertiary sector, agriculture became a reduced segment.
Organic Farming was introduced in 1988. An Accredited Farm Scheme for protecting the environment and consumers against residues of agricultural pesticides 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.
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 million daily consumed:
Agriculture
In 2006, there were 2,100 farms in the territory, employing directly about 5,300 farmers and workers. By the end of 2005, the land used for vegetable, flower, field crop, and orchard 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 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.
Principal crops
The value of crop production amounted to $272 million in 2003. Vegetable and flower production account for about 97% of the total value, being $264 million in 2003. Vegetable crops grown all year round include white cabbage, flowering cabbage, lettuce, Chinese kale, radish, leaf mustard, spring onion and chive. Spinach, watercress, and matrimony vine are produced in the cooler months. Yardlong beans, water spinach, amaranth, cucumber, and several species of Chinese gourd are produced in summer. A wide range of temperate vegetables including tomato, sweet pepper, cauliflower, carrot, and celery are grown in winter.
Flower cultivation has gained importance in recent years. Gladiolus, lily, and chrysanthemum are grown in winter; and ginger lily and lotus flower in summer. Peach blossom is grown especially for the Lunar New Year. A wide range of fruit is grown on the lower hill slopes, the main types being lychee, longan, wampee, local lemon, orange, tangerine, guava, papaya and banana.