The results of Agricultural, Forestry, Fishery and Husbandry Census

 Agricultural, forestry, fishery and husbandry units in 2000 decreased compared with ten years ago. At the end of 2000, there were 47,000 households in agriculture and husbandry in Miaoli, decreasing 6,478 households or 13.8% compared with 46,775 households in 1990. The population in agriculture and husbandry decreased greatly compared with data 10 years ago. In 2000, the population in agriculture and husbandry was 210,598 whereas in 1990 it was 2407,626, decreasing 37,028 or 14.95%. Agricultural service and agricultural and husbandry farms also decreased. There were 279 agricultural service units in 2000 whereas in 1990 there were 1,406 units, decreasing 1,127 units or 80%. In 2000, there were 23 agricultural and husbandry farms whereas in 1990 there were 36, decreasing 13 units or 36%. In 2000, fishery households increased from 686 to 798. 

•   Summary of agriculture and husbandry: For agriculture and husbandry,
  in terms of organization pattern, at the end of 2000 about 99.8% or 40,235 households owned farmland and 83% of the 23 agricultural and husbandry farms were privately run. In terms of farmland scale, in 2000, among 40,253 agricultural and husbandry farms, 22,771 households or 57% owned lands smaller than 0.5 hectare. 11,266 households or 27.9% owned lands 0.5 to 1 hectare. 6216 households owned lands larger than 1 hectare. The average land area was 0.6 hectare. In terms of primary occupation, agricultural and husbandry households most often grew rice. Rice growing households were 22,073.
•  Summary of agricultural service sectors: In terms of organization patterns, in 2000 about 95% or 264 units were single proprietorship and plowing the field was the major service provided. 227 units provided crops services. In terms of major agricultural machines services, 137 units owned motor-driven rice seeding transplanting machines, the majority of this category of service. Tractors, power tillers and rice harvest machines accounted for 124, 101 and 95 units respectively.
•  Summary of fishery: In 2000, in terms of occupation subcategory, there were 629 units of fishery and 111 units of aquatics breeding. Fishery population was 798. In terms of operation model, 628 units only focused on fishery whereas 107 only focused on aquatics breeding. In terms of ship ownership, mostly were non-motor ships, accounting for 497 units or 73.3%. The average breeding area of the whole county was 0.27 hectare.
  5. Summary of forestry: In 2000, in terms of organizational patterns, there were 12,167 forestry households and 6 forestry farms. The forestry area was 19,698.74 hectares. 5,952 households owned lands smaller than 1 hectare. 5,617 households owned lands 2 to 5 hectares. 654 households owned lands larger than 5 hectares. In terms of forestry subcategory, there were 7,381 units of lumber industry, the majority in the forestry industry.