Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan said on Saturday that a "new brand" certification for Hong Kong-endorsed agricultural and fisheries products would benefit both consumers and producers.

Speaking on a Commercial Radio programme, he said the branding certification would be rolled out in July.

Tse said it is difficult for consumers at this time to verify any claims that producers might make about their products.

But with the new arrangement, they can scan the QR code on each item to find out where and when it is sourced.

“This branding mechanism can boost confidence as it comes with a traceability system for checking which farm a product is from," Tse said.

"We hope, through this branding system, to increase sales of local agricultural and fishery products here in Hong Kong and also open up new markets on the mainland and overseas.

“We plan to start with agricultural and fishery products first, then gradually expand to cover maybe local pigs and chickens.”

Tse went on to say that Hong Kong can venture into food processing, for example, by turning unsold fish into smoked fish and frozen items for sale elsewhere.

It, he added, will take farms already accredited with the Agricultural, Fisheries and Conservation Department around a month to be processed and accepted into the certification system.

Touching on the rodent-borne disease hantavirus that broke out on a cruise ship in the Atlantic, Tse also said the SAR faces a relatively low risk, as that particular species is not commonly seen in Hong Kong.

But he stressed the government remains concerned as rodents carry and spread many diseases, adding it will continue to carry out pest-control work.



Edited by Robert Kemp