Hong Kong concerned over vegetable imports from mainland China, study finds

With safety concerns to the fore, more than 81 per cent of Hongkongers prefer vegetables grown locally to those imported from the mainland, a study by the Hong Kong Organic Resource Centre found.

Some 80 per cent of the 967 respondents wanted to see the proportion of the city's vegetables grown locally increase from the present 2 per cent to between 5 and 15 per cent, researchers found.

The study comes amid a debate over the future of agriculture in the city. The government has launched a consultation on its new agricultural policy - intended to revitalise the industry by harnessing technology and attracting young workers - which runs until March 31.

But the centre's study found respondents divided over whether more land should be saved for agricultural development. Some 37 per cent said they supported the rehabilitation or preservation of agricultural land, while 30 per cent said building homes should be the priority.

Baptist University Professor Jonathan Wong Woon-chung, director of the centre, said Hong Kong should follow Singapore's example by setting a minimum proportion of vegetables that must be grown locally.