Strawberries. The word brings to mind a succulent fruit that, unfortunately, can also be described as imported and expensive.
But not any more, as the mouth-watering display of local strawberries at FarmFest 2008 at Fa Hui Park in Mong Kok will attest to.
The exhibit is part of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department's initiative to certify all 30-odd local strawberry farms as organic.
'Local demand for strawberries is very high,' says Chan Siu-lun, the agricultural officer overseeing the project, adding that the initiative is an attempt to ensure the best-quality product possible.
'Strawberries are eaten without processing, so the growing process has a large effect on the taste,' Mr Chan said.
He believes the large-scale effort encouraging local farms to upgrade their facilities and practices in order to be organically certified will increase the quality of the strawberries produced, allowing the local fruit to compete with imports from the US, Europe and Australia.
Improving productivity and profitability were the main reasons farms were making the adjustments, Mr Chan said.
