XN000022-1990-01-04 — Page 6

5.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 4, 1990

EXOTIC VEGETABLES INTRODUCED TO LOCAL FARMERS

LOCAL FARMERS WILL SOON BE ABLE TO PRODUCE HIGH-QUALITY EXOTIC VEGETABLES TO MEET UPPER MARKET DEMANDS.

CURRENTLY THEY ARE BEING ENCOURAGED BY THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT TO APPLY A LATEST DEVELOPED TECHNIQUE -

MASS SEEDLING PRODUCTION SYSTEM IN GROWING THESE EXOTIC VEGETABLES.

THE DEPARTMENT'S TAI LUNG EXPERIMENTAL STATION IN SHEUNG SHUI IS NOW HOLDING A SERIES OF SEMINARS AND DEMONSTRATIONS ΤΟ INTRODUCE TO FARMERS MODERN, HIGH-QUALITY VARIETIES OF EXOTIC VEGETABLE TYPES WHICH HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AS SUITABLE FOR CULTIVATION UNDER LOCAL CONDITIONS AS WELL AS THE NEW SEEDLING PRODUCTION TECHNIQUE.

THE SEMINARS AND DEMONSTRATIONS, (WEDNESDAY), WILL RUN TILL JANUARY 9.

DEPARTMENT'S

WHICH STARTED YESTERDAY

ACCORDING ΤΟ THE

AGRICULTURAL OFFICER (HORTICULTURE), MR HO KOON-YU, THE TAI LUNG STATION BEGAN THE EXPERIMENT ON GROWING EXOTIC VEGETABLES ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO.

"VARIETIES FROM MANY SOURCES, NAMELY THE U.S., THE NETHERLANDS, AUSTRALIA, JAPAN AND TAIWAN WERE TESTED AND ABOUT 120 VARIETIES FROM 30 VEGETABLE TYPES HAVE BEEN FOUND SUITABLE FOR CULTIVATION IN LOCAL CLIMATIC AND CULTURAL CONDITIONS, HE SAID.

*

THE VARIETIES INCLUDE THE POPULAR CELERY, HEAD LETTUCE, TOMATO, AND FRENCH BEAN, AS WELL AS THE MORE GOURMET TYPES SUCH AS AUBERGINE, BEET ROOT, LEEK, SUPER-SWEET CORN, CHERRY TOMATO, BABY CARROT,

BRUSSELS SPROUTS, CAPSICUM, ZUCHINNI, HERBS, AND MANY OTHERS.

AT PRESENT, THE DEMAND FOR THESE EXOTIC VEGETABLES MAINLY THROUGH IMPORTS FROM COUNTRIES OTHER THAN CHINA.

ARE

MET

"THE STUDY WAS INITIATED BECAUSE EXOTIC VEGETABLES CATER UPPER MARKET DEMANDS AND CAN FETCH BETTER RETURNS FOR FARMERS, MR EXPLAINED,

TO

HO

HE NOTED THAT IN 1988, HONG KONG IMPORTED 113,000 TONNES OF EXOTIC VEGETABLES VALUED AT $550.7 MILLION. THE AVERAGE IMPORT PRICE WAS $4.87 PER KILOGRAM OR $2.94 PER CATTY AND WHOLESALE PRICES WERE

MUCH HIGHER.

IN THE SAME YEAR, 132,000 TONNES OF FRESH VEGETABLES VALUED AT $331.7 MILITON WERE PRODUCED LOCALLY. THE AVERAGE WHOLESALE PRICE WAS ONLY $2.51 PER KILOGRAM OR $1.52 PER CATTY.

PRICES RECORDED IN 1989 WERE NOT VASTLY DIFFERENT FROM THOSE OF THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

/MR HO