23M027 Genetic Identification to Preserve Local Heirloom Rice Varieties and Facilitate their Reintroduction in Hong Kong

The programme introduces a collaborative project on ‘reintroduction of local heirloom rice varieties to local farmers’ by The Hong Kong Seed Technology and Education Center (SeedTEC) and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD). Early government reports such as the Gazetteer of Xin’an County in 1688 and a report by Mr. Stewart Lockhart, Colonial Secretary of Hong Kong in 1898 showed that rice was the primary crop cultivated in the New Territories. At present, there are only about 10 rice farms in Hong Kong, with a total estimated cultivation area of 2.7 hectares. Agriculture constitutes an important part of our history and culture. While this programme offers a valuable opportunity to promote the restoration of farming or rice cultivation in Hong Kong, it also covers science, technology and humanitarian values including genomic sequencing technology, molecular markers, Hong Kong agriculture history and culture, rice cultivation and conservation.