Watermelon festival showcases organic produce

Four varieties of watermelon will be featured at the upcoming Local Organic Watermelon Festival. The annual event, organised by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, kicks off on Friday at the Maritime Square Farmers Market in Tsing Yi, where people can buy local produce and interact with farmers. The four varieties featured this year include Super Sweet Black Angel 168, Diana, Huang Yu and seedless 3F-2728. Wong Mun-wai, an agricultural officer, said people could also purchase local produce through the Local Fresh website and app or through local farmers directly. She added the festival aimed to promote local agriculture. "The festival is to promote the local organic produce, to strengthen the sustainability of local agriculture, and to build a platform for the farmers to connect with the public and share their harvest with the public," she said. Mrs Liang, a farmer, started growing watermelons last year and used a shed this year to minimise the weather's effects on crops, leading to a better harvest. She noted that watermelons which were locally produced were fresher compared with imported watermelons. "In the morning we harvest the watermelons and in the afternoon they will be sold at the festival, so I hope everyone can support us farmers," she said.