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A delegation of local farmers will leave for Korea on September 20 on a seven-day visit to learn from the advanced technology and management of Korea's agricultural sector and exchange views with their counterparts.
The 27-member group consists of representatives from the Vegetable Marketing Organisation and local farmers' co-operative societies. They will visit Korea's organic and conventional farms, green houses, vegetable processing factories, wholesale markets, retail markets and horticulture experiment stations.
Acting Director of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, Mr Lau Sin-pang, today (September 8) presented a banner to the representatives for the tour.
Facing global free trade and intense competition from low-priced imported agricultural products, Korea's agricultural sector maintains its development momentum by enhancing production technology.
A spokesman for the delegation said the itinerary would include a visit to IPARANG, a high-tech vegetable production plant which, through modern management and water cultivation, produces vegetables free of chemical pesticides and heavy metal pollution for the nation's large chain stores and supermarkets. To improve sales of local agricultural products, the delegation will also study market operation of Korea's agricultural sector.
Densely populated with limited land, Hong Kong relies heavily on imported agricultural products. Nevertheless, there are still around 1,000 hectares of farm land and locally produced vegetables are very popular.
During the past few years, study tours were arranged for local farmers to various countries to enhance local technological know-how and broaden their horizons. Local greenhouse technology has been upgraded following a visit to Europe in 2002 focusing on greenhouse cultivation in Spain, the Netherlands and other countries. Several local farms or companies are already engaged in greenhouse farming or research, producing crops ranging from organic vegetables and linzhi to orchids and lilies. The total area of local greenhouses covers more than 12,000 square metres.
In a 2004 visit to Japan, farmers learnt from the operation of Japanese farm markets and subsequently set up a similar organic market in Tai Po, which has proven a success and helped the development of local organic cultivation.
Ends/Friday, September 8, 2006
Issued at HKT 18:41
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