Reviving Lost Local Rice Varieties in Rural Hong Kong: A Pictorial Journey
Long after rice varieties once farmed in Hong Kong were lost to progress, some farming initiatives have sought to return old agricultural staples to the land. The sun sets over a rice farm in Hong Kong’s Tai Po area on March 28, 2024. Many are surprised to discover that there are still farmers cultivating rice in Hong Kong. Despite our daily consumption of rice, few have ever closely examined it.
Established in 2015 and sponsored by the C.C. Wu Culture & Education Foundation Fund Limited, Gift From Land sends students and young farmers to participate in art and agriculture-related events in Niigata, Japan, to learn and exchange their experience of working with the land. In 2018, the team set up a base on around 2,700 square metres of remote farmland near Tai Po, roughly the size of six and a half basketball courts, focusing on educational programmes and experiences for schools and organisations.
In the 1950s and 1960s, rice paddies lined the railway tracks connecting Hong Kong’s New Territories to mainland China. However, local agriculture has largely been abandoned as the city industrialised and modernised, leading to the loss of local rice species. After retrieving the seeds of 33 traditional Hong Kong rice varieties from seed banks in the United States and the Philippines, Gift From Land in 2022 launched a programme to rehabilitate local rice species.
Subheading 1: The Rehabilitation Efforts
After a period of experimentation, the team announced their findings in January of this year, confirming that three species had the potential for stable cultivation in Hong Kong. In addition to rehabilitation efforts, they have established a framework and standard operating procedures for data collection and measurements in rice farming. The project’s ultimate goal is to publish a Hong Kong Rice Catalogue reinstating lost information and history in Hong Kong’s rice agriculture.
Subheading 2: Challenges Faced
According to a publication by Gift From Land in 2017, there are around 14 farmlands still producing rice in Hong Kong, covering an estimated 25,000 square metres. Farming rice is no easy task, taking between three to six months from seed to harvest. Many local farmers have switched to cultivating more profitable vegetables that can be harvested in just two months. Even with the remaining rice farms, farmers resort to purchasing seeds from China on Taobao.
Subheading 3: The Team’s Efforts
The Gift From Land team comprises fewer than 10 people, including full-time and part-time farmers, scientists, and artists. There are around 20 volunteers, but still the workload is massive. They put a lot of effort and time into rice rehabilitation in the hope of drawing attention to agriculture in Hong Kong. The team is willing to share seeds and information with other farmers, wanting more people to produce local rice that they used to be proud of.
In conclusion, the revival of lost local rice varieties in rural Hong Kong is not just a cultivation project but a journey of rediscovery and preservation of heritage. Through the dedicated efforts of the Gift From Land team, the agricultural landscape in Hong Kong is slowly but steadily changing, bringing back the essence of traditional rice farming to the forefront.
Kyle Lam, a Hong Kong Baptist University graduate, has been instrumental in capturing the essence of this journey through his poignant photographs, showcasing the beauty and challenges of reviving lost local rice varieties. His work as a photojournalist and reporter since 2013 has shed light on the importance of preserving Hong Kong’s agricultural history and heritage for future generations to cherish and learn from.