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Written by: Liu Yanwen
2021-04-05 20:55
Last update date: 2021-04-05 20:55
"Agriculture" is an interesting topic in Hong Kong.
Some people regard it as an "economic activity", thinking that its development has already declined, and now accounts for less than 0.01% of its output value; some people associate it with the "local thought", chanting "re-cultivation of agricultural land" and "self-sufficiency"; others Regarding it as a "small fortune" in the hustle and bustle of the city, a small piece of farmland is rented in the New Territories, where you can go to the fields and grow vegetables on holidays.
In the face of various understandings and expectations, the SAR government obviously did not give a clear direction and clear statement, except for the slogan "new agricultural policy" as early as 2016, providing only 500 million yuan in subsidies, and opening an "agricultural policy" of only 80 hectares. Outside of the park, there is a fundamental lack of comprehensive planning, and even more lack of upgrade kits to catch up with technological development and market-oriented support.
Before the economic take-off in the 1970s and 1980s, agriculture used to be an important industry in Hong Kong. For example, "Yuen Long Si Miao White Rice" was an unforgettable memory of the older generation of Hong Kong people, and Hong Kong produced vegetables, live poultry, live pork, The production of freshwater fish accounts for 33%, 40%, 20% and 10% of the total food consumption in Hong Kong respectively. It is still capable of coping with sudden supply chain disruptions.
But the glory of agriculture has passed.
Like other modern cities, when Hong Kong's "urbanization" gradually took shape and the four major economic pillars became more stable, agriculture began to decline; especially after the "Shengfa Case" in 1983, it was divided into the increasingly prosperous logistics development. With a slice of the pie, more and more agricultural land has been converted into open-air parking lots and storage yards. In addition, the Hong Kong government has been actively requisitioning land to develop the northeast of the New Territories since the 1990s. So far, the proportion of agricultural output has fallen to less than 0.01%. 99% of food is imported.
If we simply use "economic activities" to understand "agriculture", Hong Kong, which lacks natural resources, has a limited land area, and is dominated by service industries, does not have the advantage. Therefore, some people sometimes question the need to vigorously develop agriculture.
However, at the same time, the local ideology has become hot in recent years. Some people have linked "locality" and "agriculture", and put "development" and "agriculture" on the opposite side. "Re-cultivation of agricultural land is self-sufficient."
Hong Kong has a limited land area and does not have an advantage in agriculture, so from time to time some people question the need to vigorously develop agriculture.
(Profile picture/Photo by Wu Zhongkun)
Agriculture has social and ecological value
However, even if it goes beyond the dimensions of "economy" and "politics," agriculture is not useless, but has certain social and ecological values.
Although Hong Kong is a free trade port with everything from all over the world for agricultural products, it is not ideal if it is overly dependent on imported products, for example, as many as 99% of the food supply comes from imports. In the past, when countries around the world embraced globalization, supply The chain is relatively stable, but the trend of "anti-globalization" has prevailed in recent years, coupled with the Sino-US trade war, siege of China and other disputes, Hong Kong is in the cracks and may be affected. Moreover, food supply is also related to fuel prices. It is closely related to transportation convenience. Last year, the outbreak of the new crown pneumonia epidemic led to the shutdown of the economy and production of many countries around the world. With the closure of cities and customs, it is inevitable that food imports will be restricted. Food prices in various regions have experienced alarming increases, and Hong Kong has repeatedly worried about food. Shortage of panic buying.
In addition, organic agriculture has been regarded as a good way to solve the problem of global climate deterioration. As the cosmopolitan city of Asia, Hong Kong has no reason to stay aside.
If “urban agriculture” that produces organic crops is promoted, farmers are encouraged to use urban waste as compost materials and adopt ecologically friendly farming methods, which will not only reduce waste and reuse, but also bring low-carbon effects.
In fact, the food safety awareness of Hong Kong people has gradually increased in recent years, and the demand for "organic food" has also steadily increased. Under the tide of environmental protection, the public is paying more attention to shortening the "food mileage" to reduce carbon emissions. I believe that the local organic market is very strong. Potential; Moreover, because of the high-rise buildings in Hong Kong, more and more citizens hope that more green spaces can be reserved in the city to practice low-carbon life.
However, when the people of Hong Kong have new expectations for agricultural development, the Hong Kong government has only used new packaging and implemented the old policy. An example is the agricultural park located in Nanjiao Keng, Gudong, northeast of the New Territories.
When the people of Hong Kong have new expectations for agricultural development, the Hong Kong government only uses the new packaging and implements the old policy.
(Profile picture)
"Agricultural modernization" is not clearly defined
Former Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying proposed the "New Agricultural Policy" in the 2016 Policy Address to promote the modernization and sustainable development of local agriculture. Among them, the "Agricultural Park" is the first policy point and pilot pilot, hoping to help agricultural stakeholders Learn the knowledge of agricultural technology and agricultural business management, promote the transfer of related knowledge, and improve productivity.
However, although the term "modernization" has appeared many times in policy documents, the authorities have not established a clear definition for this.
The "Progress Report on Major Measures of the New Agricultural Policy" (hereinafter referred to as "Progress Report") was published the following year. Although it is mentioned that "agricultural gardens" will be divided into traditional farming, organic farming, flower farming and modern farming mode, there is still no explanation. What is "modernization"-in fact, in addition to the most popular "hydroponic farming" in Hong Kong, modern agriculture also includes a variety of technologies, such as "precision farming", but it is unknown how they will be deployed.
When the definition is unclear, the direction becomes blurred and the measures are confused, failing to achieve the best results.
Lung Ziwei, director general of the Hong Kong Land Education Fund, questioned that the authorities may not know how to distinguish the various technologies of "modern agriculture": "If it is just "hydroponic farming", it may not need to be done in agricultural gardens. It can also be done in urban areas and brownfields; if it is " "Precision agriculture" does not seem to see what the government can do. It is doubtful what the role of "modern agriculture" in the agricultural park is? Are there suitable supporting facilities?" He explained that it was classified as the first phase of the agricultural park. Banana Trail is originally cultivated farmland. Water sources, soil resources, and geographic veins are all very suitable for soil farming. We have not seen the need to switch to hydroponic farming. Secondly, although "precision agriculture" technology can be used for soil cultivation, However, a data system is needed to record soil conditions, and then calculate the amount of pesticides and fertilizers that need to be put in to help improve the quality of crops. Related supporting facilities are indispensable. In addition, hydroponics is different from the existing farmers' business model, which can easily lead to unfair sales.
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In fact, for modern agriculture, the government has many paths to follow. For example, the "Progress Report" mentioned that "allowing industrial buildings to accommodate new agricultural technology" can definitely bring new opportunities for urban agriculture.
Long Ziwei also said that this is a project worth exploring. If rooftop farms and vertical farms can be developed, I believe that whether it is to reduce carbon emissions or revitalize buildings, it is an ideal modern agricultural choice.
However, the government obviously did not think carefully. In the final analysis, it has actually failed to give a clear statement on the future of Hong Kong's agriculture—whether it is determined to reinvigorate agriculture or just use some minor repairs and supplements to appease the industry, such as agriculture. The garden is regarded as a "compensatory arrangement" for farmers in the northeast of the New Territories, thinking that it is enough to find a place to resettle them?
Long Ziwei questioned that the authorities may not know how to distinguish various technologies of modern agriculture.
(Photo by Huang Baoying)
The key is whether it can become an industrial chain
"It doesn’t matter whether it’s hydroponics, conventional, or lawn mowers, it doesn’t matter. The key is whether you think Hong Kong’s agriculture can form an industrial chain, from technology to academic support, to sales and even technical assistance. Can the government gather farmers together? Friends, to provide industrial support?" Long Ziwei repeatedly questioned the purpose and effectiveness of the "agricultural park", believing that if the government intends to develop agriculture, it must re-form industrial policies instead of simply delineating the park.
Taking commercial facilities as an example, the government absolutely needs government support. "The government has a "one-stop" sales plan for hydroponics, and even finds celebrities to help sell advertisements." Long Ziwei believes that the "agricultural park" should also be invested and assisted by the government. Regular and organic farming farmers make them a point of sale for their crops.
It must be known that if the government cannot provide marketing strategies and economic development prospects for the industry when promoting the industry, no matter what high technology or how many agricultural parks are built, it will not be able to retain the existing agricultural talents, let alone attract the younger generation of innovative agricultural talents.
However, there is no agricultural policy goal at all, and there is no standard to measure the usefulness of agricultural gardens.
According to Long Ziwei’s analysis, it is known from the “New Agricultural Policy” that the agricultural park plan is proposed together with the “Agricultural Priority Area”. It is estimated that the former is a pilot plan for the latter. The government may consider how much land is allocated for farming based on the income of the agricultural park; however, When the Food and Health Bureau reported on the progress of the main measures of the "New Agricultural Policy" in 2018, it pointed out that the consultancy study on the "Agricultural Priority Area" will take several years to complete, and the plan will remain silent this year.
Moreover, before the issue of the allocation of agricultural land has been properly resolved, the government can’t wait to propose a "land sharing pilot plan" to increase housing supply, making Long Ziwei doubt whether the so-called "new agricultural policy" has expired. He is even more worried about the 80 hectares. May become the only farmland that will be protected by the policy. "What is the government's position on other farmland that is not included?"
It is undeniable that due to the vague positioning of government agriculture and the lack of policies, the prospect of agricultural parks is worrying, but it still brings a vision to many interested people. At least it can gather agricultural talents to jointly study the upgrading and transformation of Hong Kong's agriculture and sustainable development.
Lin Hanming believes that the agricultural park can expand the research and development of high-quality seeds, such as developing new varieties that can adapt to the climate of Hong Kong.
(Photo by Ou Jiale)
Collect talents to think about how to transform
Lin Hanming, a professor at the School of Life Sciences of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, admitted in an interview with "Hong Kong 01" that with the development of the city, Hong Kong’s large tracts of farmland have been classified as small retail households, and the chance of survival is getting lower and lower. Organic farming, some recreational farmland, and parent-child activities have changed fragmented agriculture. How far can you go?” He believes that if farmland cannot be concentrated, farmers will be isolated and helpless, and the emergence of "agricultural gardens" at least provides common ground. Think about opportunities for transformation.
Although the government has promised to retain agriculture, it clearly lacks professional knowledge, which limits the imagination of "modernized" agriculture.
In fact, the high-tech development that the agricultural park can achieve is far from limited to the hydroponic planting and vertical planting mentioned in the "Report". As Lin Hanming pointed out, the future agricultural development in the world must be interdisciplinary and will include different technologies. "There are young people who want to use AI (artificial intelligence) technology to assist in planting, combining mechanical engineering, information technology, etc., so they need these places (agricultural parks) to gather (talents and technologies)." In addition, He believes that the agricultural park can also expand the research and development of high-quality seeds, such as new varieties, or varieties that are compatible with Hong Kong's climate and urban agriculture.
Lin Hanming emphasized that the transformation of Hong Kong's agriculture is necessary and compelling. The shortage of land resources has already caused agriculture to gradually decline. The fragmented conventional agriculture and the imperfect industrial chain will only make agriculture slowly eliminated, but He believes that if the agricultural park can do a good job in technology and education, it may attract new farmers to the market. "If everyone has innovative ideas, the new generation will think that agriculture will no longer go downhill, and it will no longer be pure leisure. , Or they can be used to persuade landlords to develop (agriculture).”
Lin Hanming believes that the agricultural park is an important center of education and training.
(Profile picture / Photo by Liang Pengwei)
When the government promotes the micro-industry, it is often the most criticized lack of talent training and public education. The demise of an industry, in addition to the impact of the economic environment, the brain drain is also a fatal cause.
Lin Hanming believes that the agricultural park is an important center for education and training. "In the past, Hong Kong did not necessarily have high technology (agriculture), but now there is a centralized place where farmers and interested people can be trained and production can be promoted." He pointed out that nowadays. The younger generation does not necessarily have much knowledge about agriculture. For example, agricultural gardens can be used as an educational platform and regular inspections by students can allow the next generation to form a new concept of agricultural development. At the same time, "For farmers, they may feel happy and feel that It turns out that the new generation will awaken and know that agriculture is important."
If the agricultural park can become a base for scholars to study agricultural science and technology and bring the developed technologies or seeds into the hands of farmers, Hong Kong's agriculture is naturally expected to turn for the better.
However, the authorities only leased land from farmers in the form of "land-for-land". There is no complete plan at all. Apart from basic construction, it has not provided any mechanical equipment or water conservancy construction. It is really hard to expect that the agricultural park can serve as Hong Kong's agriculture. What are the benefits of development.
Lin Hanming told reporters at the end of the interview: "I support the "Agricultural Park" plan very much, but I don't want to feel a pity after it is completed."
The above is excerpted from the 259th "Hong Kong 01" Weekly Report (April 6, 2021) "Can the "Agricultural Garden" become a life-saving herb for Hong Kong agriculture?" ". If you want to read the full text, please
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