在借來的空間，成就一段東「蔥」歲月：

東涌蔬菜產銷合作社的過去、現在與將來

Sprouting in Borrowed Ground: The Legacy and Future of

Tung Chung Vegetable Marketing Organisation

撰 文 Author Stephanie

🔊📖 聲音導賞

走過涌口街，一幅描繪農民擺賣蔬菜的壁畫映入眼簾。生動的畫作與村裏的寧靜形成對比，令這幢樓高兩層的小建築在芸芸村屋和棚屋中分外顯眼。看到「東涌蔬菜產銷合作社」的字樣，我猜想，這應該不是民居建築吧！那為甚麼大門是鎖上的呢？「合作社」是一個真實存在的團體嗎？

今天的東涌被視為是機場城市和行山客的中轉站，是「從小漁村蛻變成國際大都會」的印證；但新市鎮之前的東涌則鮮少被提及和考究。究竟在農業社會時代的東涌，合作社如何能反映其社區肌理，甚至與香港其他地方以至殖民地政府在地區協作層面的橋樑？

時光倒流到差不多七十年前，東涌蔬菜產銷合作社（下稱合作社）在1955年由一群戰後移居到東涌一帶村落的居民成立。自成立開始，合作社便以馬灣涌作基地，時至今天，合作社依然是新界蔬菜產銷合作社有限責任聯合總社（下稱菜聯社）屬下的分社之一。

與今天大門深鎖的景象不同，合作社在上世紀五十到八九十年代時可算是東涌對外經濟活動的樞紐。乘著碼頭在旁的地利優勢，合作社與同以馬灣涌碼頭作基地的華利街渡建立一種共生關係，將東涌農民的農產品（主要為稻米、紅蔥和瓜類）由東涌運到堅尼地城舊批發市場出售。當時東涌不同村落的村民都會在清晨時分把自家農產拿到合作社秤重，合作社發出單據讓村民兌換現金，之後直接把菜搬到街渡上，節省村民把農產在不同村落搬來搬去的人力和時間。

合作社除了作為東涌農民與香港整個蔬菜批發系統的中間人，也是東涌農民與政府部門和其他組織的協調者。在二戰後曾扶持不少香港農民的嘉道理農業輔助會，就曾通過合作社，向東涌農民捐贈噴水器。同時，作為菜聯社的分社之一，合作社也曾參與菜聯社與漁農處教育組合辦的農業講座，參觀由政府管理的上水農場，增進農業知識和生產技術。

不過，出於種種原因，合作社在農業知識傳播層面上並沒有一個主導角色。漁農處在上世紀六十年代時在東涌馬灣村（今逸東邨位置）設立了農業分站，直接在分站舉行討論會和種植班，範圍涉獵土壤肥料、養豬技巧等，也曾跟嘉道理農業輔助會的職員一起入村，直接為村民舉行種植示範（比如稻米、西洋菜）和分發新品種種子。不過，值得一提的是，東涌當時本質上是一個自給自足的社會，居民其實並沒有把農業大規模產業化的意圖，繼續耕種主要是為了尋求溫飽。即使村民曾嘗試種植新品種的蔬菜，由於收成普通，村民也沒有意欲和信心長期種植，於是選擇繼續種回本身一直種植的瓜菜品種。故此，外來的種植技術和品種，要在東涌落地，實則面對不少困難，最終成果有限。

不過，合作社、嘉道理農業輔助會、漁農處三方一直維持良好的協作關係，而且合作社也一直維持良好的管治水平。合作社在漁護署的年度評分中一直獲得“A”的評級，足證合作社在東涌的運作一直保持暢順。不過，在社區自給自足的文化背景下，合作社在東涌的發展空間確實有限。從合作社評分的檔案文件可見，合作社在獲得評分的九年期間（1983年至1992年），在獲利能力和良好財政狀況 (Society makes profit and has a sound financial position) 一欄一直徘徊在尚可（3）和轉差（2）的狀態。故此，合作社作為一種社區經濟模式，財政上似乎在東涌並沒能做到可持續發展。

反而在農業發展以外，合作社在東涌對外交通不便的年代，曾意外擔當社區醫療的角色。在六七十年代，大嶼山的醫療設施只有位於長沙的嶼南醫院，東涌居民生病時不像今天的居民般能到商場光顧家庭醫生，而是只能依靠像是友愛醫船的醫療船，每個星期只有幾天的醫療服務。那時候村民認識了曾在嶼南醫院做見習醫生的郭嘉祥醫生¹，郭醫生願意每個星期來村裏義務為老人家量血壓看病，正要找地方落腳。村民靈機一觸，就想到可以用合作社閣樓的位置。但礙於合作社的用地實質上是臨時用地，並不能用於蔬菜買賣以外的用途，村民於是主動去信菜聯社，看在郭醫生是義務性質在村裏行醫的分上，獲得批准讓郭醫生在合作社平日下午的閒置時間為村民看病。據村民回憶，郭醫生在村裏義診長達八到十年，為馬灣涌以至東涌其他村落的居民服務。郭醫生的出現，令合作社在蔬菜買賣以外，也成為社區的醫療據點。

正因為農業在東涌居民心中主要是為自用而非外銷，隨著時代發展，東涌與外界的聯繫越趨緊密，村民在上世紀六七十年代開始到外區工作、也開始食用外地出產並且更便宜的農產，居民之間越來越少人以耕種餬口，導致農業活動在上世紀七八十年代開始減少。到九十年代初，政府更停止為合作社的蔬菜運輸工作提供補貼，合作社也自始淡出眾人的視線。

今天的合作社，縱使名義上依然維持運作，社員定期跟漁農處職員和菜聯社保持聯繫，但其實只靠一位在深圳經營菜場的社員穩定出產農產品，社員之間也沒有復興合作社的計劃。在沒有本地農產出售、喪失原本成立功能的情況下，合作社自然難以經營下去。「沒辦法，唔捨得都無辦法㗎啦！你邊度可以搵地方種菜？」合作社第二代負責人李村長反問道。

在借來的空間，合作社為東涌農民搭建了對外銷售蔬菜的渠道，是東涌對外經濟曾經的中轉站，也是社區醫療的意外落腳點。不只對外，李村長、不同村落的村民代表在談話間也流露出一份對合作社的情意結。它既是東涌不同村民的黏合劑，也是東涌農業社會時代的見證。這份協作精神，正正印證合作社作為一種經濟模式，對人和社區的影響不只於經濟上的價值。即便在東涌重新發展農業的機會微乎其微，合作社作為一種社區為本的經濟模式，依然值得承傳下去。

這刻，看著合作社門外的壁畫，彷彿靜止了的時間重新流動，合作社正重新招攬社員，要把它轉化成馬灣涌的市墟和故事館……

Walking along the Chung Hau Street, a mural depicting farmers selling vegetables catches the eye. The lively artwork contrasts with the village’s tranquility, making this small two-story building stand out among the clustered village houses and stilt houses. Seeing the words “Tung Chung Vegetable Production and Marketing Cooperative” on the building, one wonders if this is merely a residence. Why then is the main door locked? Does this “cooperative” really exist?

Today, Tung Chung is known as an airport city and a transit point for hikers, embodying the transformation “from a small fishing village to an international metropolis.” But little research or mention is given to the pre–new town Tung Chung. How did the community fabric of Tung Chung’s agricultural society connect through the cooperative and establish regional collaborative relations with other parts of Hong Kong and the colonial government?

Nearly seventy years ago, in 1955, the Tung Chung Vegetable Marketing Organisation (hereafter “the Organisation”) was founded by post-war immigrant residents of villages around Tung Chung. From the beginning, the Organisation was based in Ma Wan Chung Village and remains today a branch of the Federation of Vegetable Marketing Co-operatives Societies Limited (referred to as the Federation).

Unlike its locked doors today, the Organisation was once the economic hub of Tung Chung from the 1950s through the 1980s. Leveraging its advantageous location beside the pier, it coexisted symbiotically with the Wah Lee kaito ferry, also based at Ma Wan Chung pier, transporting agricultural products—mainly rice, shallots, and melons—from Tung Chung to the Kennedy Town old wholesale market. Villagers from various Tung Chung settlements brought their produce to the Organisation early in the morning for weighing; the Organisation issued receipts allowing villagers to exchange for cash and directly loaded the produce onto ferries. This saved villagers the labor and time of transporting vegetables across different villages.

The Organisation not only acted as an intermediary between Tung Chung farmers and Hong Kong’s entire vegetable wholesale system but also coordinated relations between farmers and government bodies and other organisations. The Kadoorie Agricultural Aid Association, which supported many Hong Kong farmers after World War II, donated sprinklers through the Organisation to Tung Chung farmers. The Organisation, as part of the Federation, also participated in agricultural lectures jointly organised with the Agriculture and Fisheries Department’s Education Unit and visited government-managed Sheung Shui farms to improve agricultural knowledge and techniques.

However, the Organisation did not dominate agricultural knowledge dissemination. In the 1960s, the Agriculture and Fisheries Department set up an agricultural sub-station in Ma Wan Chung Village (now the site of Yat Tung Estate), holding direct discussions and planting classes covering topics like soil fertilisation and pig farming. Department staff worked alongside Kadoorie Agricultural Aid personnel, conducting planting demonstrations (e.g., rice, watercress) and distributing new seed varieties. Yet, Tung Chung was essentially a self-sufficient society, with no intention toward large-scale agricultural industrialisation. Farming was pursued primarily for subsistence. Even when villagers experimented with new vegetable varieties, the ordinary yields dampened enthusiasm and confidence, so they reverted to growing the traditional melon and vegetable types. Consequently, foreign farming techniques and varieties faced substantial challenges in taking root in Tung Chung, yielding limited success.

Nonetheless, the Organisation, Kadoorie Agricultural Aid, and Agriculture and Fisheries Department maintained good collaboration, and the Organisation itself upheld strong governance. The Organisation consistently earned “A” ratings in annual evaluations by the government, demonstrating smooth operation in Tung Chung. Yet, under a self-sufficient community culture, space for Organisation development was limited. Records show the Organisation’s profitability and sound financial status fluctuated between fair and deteriorating over nine years (1983–1992). Thus, as a community economic model, the Organisation struggled to achieve financial sustainability in Tung Chung.

Interestingly, beyond agriculture, the Organisation unexpectedly served a medical role during Tung Chung’s era of poor external transport. In the 1960s and 1970s, medical facilities on Lantau Island were limited to the Island South Hospital in Cheung Sha. Unlike today’s residents who can visit family doctors nearby, Tung Chung villagers relied on medical vessels, which offered clinic services only a few days a week. Villagers came to know Dr Kwok Ka Cheong, who once interned at Island South Hospital and volunteered weekly to measure blood pressure and treat the elderly locally. Needing a place to settle, villagers suggested using the Organisation’s attic space. Since the Organisation’s land was temporarily designated and could not serve purposes beyond vegetable trade, villagers petitioned the Federation to permit Dr Kwok to use the cooperative premises for his voluntary clinic during weekdays. According to memories of the villagers, Dr Kwok provided free medical service in the village for eight to ten years, serving residents of Ma Wan Chung and other Tung Chung villages. His presence made the Organisation not only a vegetable trade hub but also a community medical centre.

Because agriculture was essentially for self-consumption and not external sale, Tung Chung villagers increasingly worked outside the village from the 1960s and 1970s and consumed cheaper imported produce. Farming thus declined from the 1970s to 1980s. By the early 1990s, government subsidies for vegetable transport ceased, and the Organisation faded from public view.

Today, despite continuing nominal operations and regular contact between members and staff from the government department and the Federation, the Organisation relies heavily on a single member operating a vegetable market in Shenzhen. There is no plan to revive the Organisation, which, lacking local produce to sell and its original function, struggles to continue. “No choice, no matter how reluctant you are! Where else can you find places to grow vegetables?” asks Mr Lee, the second-generation leader of the Organisation.

Borrowing space long ago, the Organisation built pathways for farmers to sell vegetables outside Tung Chung, once the external economic hub of Tung Chung and unexpectedly a medical point. Beyond external connections, Mr Lee and leaders from different villages express heartfelt attachment to the Organisation. It serves as a glue binding Tung Chung’s villagers and a witness to its agricultural society era. This spirit of cooperation demonstrates that the Organisation’s impact goes beyond economics to people and community. Even if the opportunity to redevelop agriculture in Tung Chung remains slim, the Organisation as a community-based economic model deserves to be passed on.

At this moment, gazing at the mural outside the cooperative, it seems as if frozen time flows again. The Organisation is recruiting members again, aiming to become Ma Wan Chung’s market square and story house…

(郭醫生已經在2024年11月不幸離開人世，團隊遺憾未能直接與郭醫生接觸，了解更多他在東涌義診的故事。僅此感謝郭醫生對東涌社區的付出！Dr. Kwok passed away in November 2024. The team regrets being unable to directly interview him to learn more about his voluntary clinic work in Tung Chung. This is a tribute to his contributions to the community.)

 參考資料 References

香港政府漁農處（1968）。《香港農友：第一卷第一期》香港：香港政府印務局。
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Kadoorie Agricultural Aid Association HKRS70-3-200. Government Records Service of Hong Kong
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AF CCU 13/16 II Reports & Returns – Grading of Agricultural Co-operative Societies HKRS905-1-6, Government Records Service of Hong Kong.

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