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Written by: Wang Jieen
2021-05-29 00:00
Last update date: 2021-05-29 00:00
Affected by the development of the Northeast New Territories, many agricultural land has been reclaimed for development.
In order to resettle the affected farmers, the government puts forward different plans for farmers to return to farming.
However, the Jiao Keng Agricultural Park, which is one of the re-cultivation schemes, was discovered earlier that the project contractor was laying asphalt on the farmland, which was suspected of damaging the soil, and the project had to be stopped.
As for another re-cultivation plan, the Special Agricultural Land Re-cultivation Plan, the government arranges official land in the northern New Territories for farmers to re-cultivation, but the plan is also facing crisis.
A farmer said that in addition to the prohibitive soil quality, the site selection and area criteria for the land assigned by the authorities are also vague. The five re-cultivation plots mentioned at the beginning have only been released, and there is no news on the rest, and they were suddenly released afterwards. Another piece of newly replanted land.
Although the Development Bureau has been asked many times to explain the principles of land allocation, etc., there is no specific response.
Some farmers who were affected pointed out that the deadline for reaping their land had long passed, and the only farmers who had not been able to rehabilitate smoothly so far, lamented: "We don't care about our life or death... as if we were left to slaughter."
In addition to agricultural gardens, affected farmers can choose to participate in the "Special Agricultural Land Rehabilitation Program."
(Photo by Yu Junliang)
According to the farm operation survey data completed by the Fisheries and Conservation Department at the end of 2018, about 33 farmers were affected in the first phase of development in the Northeast New Territories.
The government’s agricultural park standard slanders the modernization of agriculture in order to enhance the overall output of Hong Kong’s agriculture.
The agricultural park can provide 80 hectares of farmland and is developed in two phases. The first phase of the project was launched in October last year. The project cost more than 170 million yuan and is expected to be completed in phases this year.
However, the contractor was found to have piled stones and asphalt on the farmland used for re-cultivation, questioning the damage to the farmland, and the project had to be stopped urgently.
Only one of the five re-arable land will be launched
In addition to agricultural gardens, farmers can also choose to participate in the "Special Agricultural Land Rehabilitation Program."
The government will identify suitable government land in the North District of the New Territories for the affected farmers to resume farming.
The Development Bureau has revealed that 14 affected farmers have chosen to participate in the "re-cultivation plan."
The government stated that it initially identified 10 plots of land with potential for re-cultivation in the North District, but will first propose 5 plots for consideration by farmers affected by the first phase of the development of the new development area, including Huashan, Gangwafu, and Muhu. , Zhuyuan and Guanyao occupy a total area of about 3.3 hectares. Huashan, Zhuyuan and Muhu are expected to be available last year, but so far the government has only released Huashan's reclaimed land.
According to statistics, about 33 farmers were affected in the first stage of development in the northeastern New Territories.
(Photo by Yu Junliang)
Suddenly launching ancient cave reclaimed land
Xie Daren is a farmer in Ma Shipu, and his family has been rooted there for 68 years.
Xie Daren pointed out that the current government only released Huashan's reclaimed land. The remaining four sites were being opposed by local residents and questioned the lack of consultation by the authorities. However, the government suddenly released new land and allocated it to five farmers, but the farmers did not know about it beforehand. Land has been found.
Xie Daren said that he received a letter in March this year stating that the re-arable land of Ma Tso Lung in the ancient cave was distributed, "I have never heard of it." He added that Ma Tso Lung is located in the ancient cave, and there are also farmers in the ancient cave. Affected by land harvesting and there is a need for re-cultivation, I questioned why the re-arable land in Ma Tso Lung was assigned to farmers in Sheung Shui instead of relocating the peasants in Gudong in the same area. Although some farmers have been farming in Ma Tso Lung Village in the past, they have not been farmed. Receive an invitation.
Extended reading: Northeast New Territories | The government arranges for the reclaimed land to be as dry and cracked as wasteland. Farmer: I am a wasteland cattle
▼Huashan Reclaimed Land ▼
Unclear guidelines
Xie Daren also pointed out that with reference to the first batch of re-cultivated land in Huashan, apart from the prohibitive soil quality, the authorities’ information is also opaque, and farmers have no way of knowing the criteria for their allocation of land.
He explained that in the past, he had been cultivating about 1 dou of land, but the authorities had assigned him twice, and the area was different each time, only 0.7 or 0.47 dou respectively.
In addition, the entire re-cultivation mechanism is not clear. If farmers refuse to be granted re-cultivation land, they do not know whether they will be assigned another re-cultivation land in the future.
Ta Kwu Ling reclaimed land is opposed by locals
In response to enquiries, the Development Bureau pointed out that last year it initially identified three re-cultivation agricultural land in Huashan and Ta Kwu Ling, but the re-cultivation agricultural land in Ta Kwu Ling was opposed by local people, so it subsequently identified another one in Ma Tso Lung. Cultivate agricultural land.
According to the bureau, the four farmers in Fanling North who moved out in the fourth quarter of last year have been allocated to the Huashan farmland for re-cultivation. Except for one that has not yet made a decision, the rest have begun to re-cultivation; the other five need to be the first this year. Farmers who moved out in this season have also been allocated Ma Tso Lung to re-cultivation land.
As for the remaining five farmers who will move out in batches starting in the third quarter of this year, the bureau indicated that they will provide re-cultivation options in due course.
The bureau also pointed out that in view of the limited supply of farmland under the restoration plan, it may not be able to meet the requirements of all the farmers applying for it, so the affected farmers have been provided with the Gudongnan Agricultural Park as a restoration option.
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Northeast New Territories Development Agricultural Development Agricultural Development Bureau
