The largest outdoor farmers’ market in Hong Kong opened on a warm winter Friday, inviting tides of crowds to enjoy a variety of local agricultural and fishery products.
Jointly organized by the Agricultural, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government, the Vegetable Marketing Organization and the Fish Marketing Organization, the three-day FarmFest 2020 accommodates near 400 stalls.
The theme of the exhibition this year is agriculture and fisheries technologies. Local experts introduced how Hong Kong used technologies to promote precision agriculture.
Red Coral lettuce and Red Oak leaf lettuce were exposed under an LED system with color-changing light. A tube insert liquid nutrients within nano bubble into the roots of vegetables.
“We have introduced these technologies to Vegetable Factory for better production of our local agriculture,” said Kevin Wong, the Agricultural Management Officer of AFCD.
Vegetable Factory is not a real one but a concept. For Hong Kong, a city faced with both land and labor shortage, vertical cultivation with customized growing environment gave an answer to local agricultural development.
Wong pointed out that with the help of Vegetable Factory, vegetables and fruits cultivated were pesticides-free with a relatively shorter growth period.
“It’s also cellphone-friendly as farmers can use applications on their mobile phones to control the production system,” Wong added.
Farm 66, a local indoor farming factory practicing the concept of Vegetable Factory, exhibited vegetable and fruits at a booth. Decem Yuen, the company’s account manager, said their products were always well received by consumers from local and overseas.
“Clean and healthy, that’s how we deal with our vegetables,” said Yuen.
A staff of a fish pavilion waits for customers at an outdoor farmers’ market in Hong Kong, south China, Jan. 3, 2020. The largest outdoor farmers’ market in Hong Kong opened on a warm winter Friday, inviting tides of crowds to enjoy a variety of local agricultural and fishery products. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaochu)
