What we have learnt from this COVID-19 pandemic is that food security is a national priority.
As a small island, we import almost everything that we eat. Having local farms to supply part of the food that we eat will strengthen our food security. It will not only make us less reliant on food imports, it will also help to buffer us against supply disruptions.
To this end, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) is working with stakeholders to transform Lim Chu Kang into Singapore’s core agri-food hub. This comes on top of efforts to make use of alternative farming spaces, such as the rooftops of multi-storey car parks, to overcome our land constraints.
It will bring us closer to our “30 by 30” goal of producing 30% of our nutritional needs by 2030. This goal is part of the Singapore Green Plan 2030, and will help build a more resilient food future.
Technology and innovation
Technology and innovation can help our farmers to overcome land and resource constraints. Some farms, for example, are using indoor multi-storey LED lighting and recirculating aquaculture systems to produce 10 to 15 times more than traditional farms!
The SFA has introduced various co-funding schemes to support local farms to grow and expand. One example is the $60 million Agri-Food Cluster Transformation Fund that was launched this year to provide funding support to farms to build and expand their production capabilities and capacities. Over $23 million in funding was also awarded for R&D in sustainable urban food production.
Dedicated account managers from SFA also guide and advise farms on areas such as technology adoption and business development.
Here’s a beautiful story shared by a boy who spend hours following his father around their farm.
He always says, “The food we grow always tastes better because it tastes of our care and our hopes. And he is right.”
My dad also says, “It takes a village to raise a child but a nation to feed our people.
We don’t just feed today but also our future.”
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