Singapore has replaced its original 2030 farming goal with new targets for fibre and protein production by 2035, amid headwinds confronting the local agricultural sector.
At the same time, the Government is also exploring new ways to help local farms boost production and stay viable. It will, for instance, be studying the feasibility of developing a facility that can host multiple farms, and provide common utilities and shared services to lower production costs.
Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu announced the revised targets and new initiatives at the opening of the Asia-Pacific Agri-Food Innovation Summit on Nov 4.
This feasibility study is expected to take one to 1½ years, and SFA has started engaging farms that could be potential tenants, he said. This facility is separate from the Lim Chu Kang high-tech agri-food hub that is still being looked into
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The 390ha hub was announced in 2020, but in late 2024, it was reported that this Lim Chu Kang master plan, as well as construction work for the neighbouring Agri-Food Innovation Park, was delayed.
SFA said: “The feasibility study of the pilot multi-tenanted facility will inform longer-term plans to intensify limited agricultural land at Lim Chu Kang and support farms to grow in a climate-resilient and commercially viable manner.”
The study joins a slew of other initiatives that have started in recent months to help local farms cope with the upheaval in the sector. These include a programme to supply farms with healthier eggs and baby fish , and ways to link farmers with consistent customers like eateries and supermarkets.
Cultivated protein not part of food security strategy At the height of the optimism in the agri-food sector, Singapore also made headlines around the world in 2020 for being the first country to approve the sale of a cultivated meat product
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But since then, the alternative protein industry – which includes cultivated and plant-based products – has faced hurdles in scaling up due to higher production costs and weaker-than-expected consumer acceptance globally, Ms Fu said.
Thus, alternative protein will not be part of Singapore’s food security strategy in the short term, SFA said.
“In the longer term, if and when alternative proteins become more competitive and mainstream globally, it can potentially contribute to our food security. In the meantime, we will press on with efforts in R&D and industry development for this sector,” added the agency.
The revised food security targets and longer runway till 2035 will reduce the time pressure faced by farmers, some players in the agri-tech sector told The Straits Times.
The new targets are a pragmatic response to real headwinds, but they can be achievable only if policies, regulatory support and financing accelerate, said Associate Professor Matthew Tan from the Singapore Institute of Technology.
Prof Tan, who has expertise in applied sustainability practices and protocols for the agri-food industry, said the new targets are “more feasible but still considered ambitious”.
For instance, adding 4 percentage points to protein supply by 2035 is not trivial as it will require focused policies. These could include targeted funding and farming overseas to boost seafood supply, without needing all production to happen in Singapore, he said.
Prof Tan also noted that vegetable production has to rise by 9.5 per cent each year, while managing costs, energy use, labour, inputs and consumer demand.
