Organics in Hong Kong

An important family event in Hong Kong has given me the chance to have a bit of time out and investigate organics in another setting.

In a place as polluted as Hong Kong (I haven't seen a blue sky once in the time i've been here, let alone the sun!), organics is gaining popularity quite quickly, and not just amongst the expatriate community.

There are around 70 organic farms in Hong Kong (mostly in the New Territories) and several organic farmers markets.

I was very pleased to be able to visit Apple Tsang, Jo and Allison (pic to come) at their farm Organic Soil. They showed us around and we were very impressed by the quality and quantity of the produce.

Interesting things we learnt were that:

• Organic farming is well supported by the government through an NGO that provides education, training and subsidies for infrastructure and seedlings.
• Organic food from mainland China is treated with caution.
• Animals are not encouraged on organic farms.
• The main inputs are vegetable scrap compost, blood and bone, lime, and crushed peanut shell.
• The soil is low in organics, but neutral pH, so grows lots of food.
• Winter is the main tomato growing season!
  
• Farmers in HK face the same financial difficulties that Australian farmers do.

Tomorrow I'm off to another property which is run on an allotment system. People from inner Hong Kong travel out to their rented path and tend their vegies.

On a side note: apparently the chinese are taking steps to reduce pollution because it has gotten so bad that it is affecting business... in that it is getting harder to recruit staff from OS because of the abysmal air quality.