(20 Jul 2019) LEAD IN Home grown watermelons are being actively promoted by the government in Hong Kong.
Organic watermelons are also being grown by local farmers, who say their crops compare favourably to imported varieties.
STORY-LINE:
Underneath the scorching sun of Kam Tin, located in the northwestern part of Hong Kong, farmer Chan Chi-Cheng is busy tending to the watermelons at his organic farm.
He examines the crop carefully to see if his the melons are ready to be presented at market on Sunday.
The hot climate of Hong Kong allows watermelons to grow particularly well in many organic farms, but rainy seasons could be an obstacle for growing them.
Chan says, therefore, controlling the amount of water his crop receives is paramount: "In Hong Kong, if you have a rain cover in your farm, it's not hard to grow watermelons. The main thing is to control the amount of water inside. Hong Kong is rainy, if you don't have a rain cover, it will be hard. If you have a rain cover, it's very easy for you to grow watermelon."
Hong Kong's Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) is hosting a watermelon festival to support local farmers.
Three organic watermelon varieties feature this year.
Hami Yellow Flesh from Japan, Super Sweet Black Angel 168 from Australia and Diana from Taiwan are varieties that have been introduced in recent years.
They're being showcased at organic farm markets every Sunday throughout this month.
The Agricultural Officer of the AFCD, Mon Wong explains this year's campaign: "We have promoted a number of crops, but watermelons are more welcomed by local farmers. What we see is that watermelon is more accepted by local consumers. They like to buy watermelons in the summer and even for a higher price. After a few years we know that watermelons grow quite well locally in Hong Kong. So, we chose watermelon as a main crop for promotion."
Watermelon is a seasonal summer fruit in Hong Kong and many people use it to cool down in searing temperatures.
Stanley Yip, who's an urban designer, is a fan: "At least when you taste it, the watermelon tasted fresh, and it feels real. When I was a I kid, I remember eating watermelon with seeds, very juicy, and the sweetness was just right. A lot of watermelon now doesn't have seeds, it's too sweet and eating organic watermelon reminds me flavor on how watermelon used to taste like as a kid."
Felix Lam, who sells organic produce, claims :"Organic food is definitely safe, there is no artificial fertilizer. It's also healthier, the customers will always come back to buy it, we can see some customers who visited us last week came back this week to buy the watermelons."
It seems as if the organic watermelon market is set to grow and grow.
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