Tis the season to eat lychees. But you should be careful which ones you eat, says Winson Tsang Tsan-on, director of the Hong Kong Organic Agriculture and Ecological Research Association, because some growers use so much pesticide that the lychees could harm you.
To avoid using pesticides, Tsang (right) has spent the past five years looking for two species of good insects, T. embryophagum and T. loeae, which destroy the eggs of the most common bad insect that attacks lychees, Conopomorpha sinensis.
Keeping up?
Applying this new organic method to kill the bad bugs is a bit more complicated than spraying pesticides, but it ensures food safety.
OK, got it: once the bad bugs have been infected and killed by the good bugs, the good bugs fly away and we're left with lots of luscious lychees.
So, here's Tsang with his organic lychees. If you hankering for a taste, an exhibition, 'Loveth Thy Neighbour - Organic Lychee Fair' - will be held from Monday until June 19, 10am to 10pm, at 1/F, East Point City, Tseung Kwan O. Admission is free. Inquiries: 27039346.