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1 LI HOK FUNG S.7B (25) 16/9/2008 Agriculture in Hong Kong Organic Farming in Hong Kong Introduction Organic farming in Hong Kong began in 1988. It is a form of agriculture that depends on environmentally-friendly resources like natural fertilizer to yield crops. It uses biological ways to combat agricultural problems and tries to stay away from chemical substances that can alter the food and its quality. Background During the 90's, because of rapid urbanization and profound shift in economic structure, the local agricultural sector continued to decrease. At that time, public started to concern about food safety and environmental protection, so the Hong Kong government had begun to promote organic farming. As at December 2007, there are 235 organic farms in Hong Kong., the average production volume for organic vegetables is about 3-5 metric tones per day which are distributed through supermarkets, health food stores, wet markets and farmers' market. Advantages of organic farming Organic farming is environmentally friendly , sustainable and better protect our farmlands and countryside. It sustains the fertilization of the soil , increase this for the future and maintain the biological variety and the natural hereditary resources . Also, it opens up a niche market that can bring in a premium for local farmers . Moreover, it provides fresh, healthy and safe food products which are free from pesticides, chemicals, and additives, thus offer a wider and better choice of fresh vegetables to local residents. Organic Farming Support Service HKORC (Hong Kong Organic Resources Centre) was established in December 2002 to provide an independent organic certification service for farmers and food processors. In late 2004, the HKORC had officially launched its organic certification service. The service includes sampling of soil and irrigated water for testing and on-site organic assessment, regular farm visit to provide technical advice and suggestions, technical input and advisory for organic certification application, introduction of organic pest control techniques and cultivation practices and assistance in marketing 2 of organic product. Organic farming techniques (1) Bug-sucking machine, which invented in 2003 to control the flea beetle problems in Brassica vegetable. (2) Integrated melon-fly control method, was designed to solve the melon fruit fly problem faced by organic farmers, is very effective and economical. (3) Field trials for specialty crops, and then introduced to our organic farmers, such as cherry tomato, white bitter gourd, cucumber, sweet pepper, strawberry, watermelon and rock melon are some of the newly introduced specialty crops for local organic farmers. (4) Composting facilities, which are used to recycling crop residues, tree branches and other biodegradable materials produced on the farm to sustain the soil fertility for crop production. Characteristics of Organic Vegetables Since no chemical is used, the plants carry no chemical residues, and grows stronger. Nonetheless, the plant may appear some worm-bites. Also, the organic vegetables are rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber, less water content, highly nutritious, tasty and can be stored for a longer time. Controlled-Environment Greenhouse (CE Greenhouse) Introduction A CE greenhouse is the greenhose that usually equipped with automatic environmental control system and irrigation system . Its framework is usually built with rust-proof iron bars and sealed with materials such as polyethylene film or polycarbonate sheet. Advantages of using CE greenhouse CE greenhouse’s enclosed operation can provide favourable conditions for plant growth, protect plants from adverse weather, pests and diseases and used for production all year round, thus improve the crop yield. Besides, it can be fully automated in irrigation, fertilization and spraying etc, thus increase in productivity. Application of CE greenhouse CE greenhouse favours production of high value premium vegetables and flowers such as sweet pepper, cherry tomato, white bitter cucumber, sweet melon, mini cucumber and lily cut flower. 3 Since the plants are more protected from pests, diseases and external pollution, it is beneficial to use of CE greenhouse in organic cultivation.