Food & agriculture — Topics

29 Nov 2022

Update on Fresh Chicken Supply from Malaysia and Expected Imports from Indonesia

The Singapore Food Agency confirmed that live broiler chicken imports from Malaysia have resumed since 11 October 2022, and the overall supply of chicken in Singapore remains stable.
SFA is working with the industry to diversify chicken sources and has approved Indonesia to export frozen and chilled chicken to Singapore since 30 June 2022.
Businesses in both Indonesia and Singapore are currently finalizing collaboration arrangements to enable the import of fresh chicken from Indonesia.

Summary written by AI

Overview Original source

28 Nov 2022

Impact of Rising Costs and Resource Constraints on Timeline for "30 by 30" Goal

Liang Eng Hwa questioned the resource constraints and cost pressures faced by local food producers and whether these could delay Singapore's "30 by 30" goal.
Grace Fu Hai Yien highlighted that food producers face land, manpower, and cost constraints, with energy and input costs rising due to geopolitical, inflationary, and weather factors.
The Singapore Food Agency is collaborating with farms to address these challenges and remains committed to meeting the 30% nutritional needs target by 2030.

Summary written by AI

Overview Original source

28 Nov 2022

Ensuring Enough Vegetarian Food Stalls in Hawker Centres and Food Courts

Joan Pereira raised concerns about the lack of vegetarian food stalls in hawker centres despite a growing trend of vegetarian and vegan diets.
The Ministry, represented by Grace Fu Hai Yien, explained that NEA manages hawker centres and tenders stalls based on broad categories, with hawkers deciding their offerings to meet market demand and ensure commercial viability.
NEA monitors stall distribution and welcomes vegetarian food vendors to bid for stalls, noting that some non-vegetarian stalls also offer meatless options.
The response emphasized that the availability of vegetarian food is largely driven by consumer demand and hawker business decisions, with NEA supporting variety through feedback and stall management.

Summary written by AI

Overview Original source

9 Nov 2022

Support for Agri-tech Startups and SMEs to Enhance Food Security and Resilience

The government launched the Singapore Food Story R&D Programme with $144 million in 2019, funding 50 projects, and has allocated fresh funding of $165 million for its second phase to focus on food security and novel food safety.
Advanced technologies like controlled-environment agriculture and AI are being deployed by local farms such as Sustenir Agriculture, Singapore Aquaculture Technologies, and Blue Aqua to boost productivity in land-scarce Singapore.
EnterpriseSG supports agri-food startups and SMEs through accelerators like Big Idea Ventures and GROW, while collaborations with Temasek Foundation include the Food Grand Challenge to drive innovation in urban agriculture and alternative proteins.
To build a talent pipeline for the "30 by 30" food security goal, agencies partner with institutes of higher learning, such as Republic Polytechnic offering relevant diplomas, to train and upskill the workforce.

Summary written by AI

Overview Original source

8 Nov 2022

Projects Funded under Singapore Food Story R&D Programme

Miss Cheryl Chan inquired about tangible outcomes from the Singapore Food Story R&D Programme since its 2019 launch and which nutritional aspects could be better fulfilled for food security through further research.
Grace Fu responded that the first grant call was awarded in 2021, with projects currently being implemented and expected to yield measurable outcomes in a few years.

Summary written by AI

Overview Original source

20 Oct 2022

Self-sufficiency Target for Agricultural Inputs

Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked about Singapore’s current self-sufficiency level for agricultural inputs and whether a target would be considered.
Grace Fu Hai Yien explained that farms use diverse inputs depending on their models and that the focus is on the "30 by 30" goal to produce 30% of nutritional needs by 2030.
She stated that no targets have been set for agricultural input self-sufficiency, as it is not practical at this stage, and advised farms to have business continuity plans to manage supply risks.

Summary written by AI

Overview Original source

20 Oct 2022

Steps to Take Following Consumption of Recalled Food Products

Joan Pereira asked what consumers should do after consuming recalled food and what recourse they have if they fall ill.
Grace Fu explained that SFA recalls non-compliant food products and advises consumers to stop consuming them.
Consumers who have eaten recalled products should monitor their health and seek medical advice if unwell.
Consumers should check with their points of purchase for refund and medical expense reimbursement policies.

Summary written by AI

Overview Original source

20 Oct 2022

Rising Prices of Fresh Fish

Melvin Yong asked about the extent of fresh fish price increases over the past six months and whether the upward trend is expected to continue into 2023.
Grace Fu stated that fish and seafood prices rose by 4.7% on a seasonally-adjusted basis from February to August 2022, citing climate change, adverse weather, and higher feed and energy costs as key factors.
She noted Singapore’s heavy reliance on imported food and highlighted efforts to diversify food sources and develop local aquaculture to enhance resilience.
The government encouraged businesses to adopt continuity plans and consumers to be flexible with food choices to mitigate impacts.
No explicit forecast for 2023 was provided, but the response emphasized ongoing diversification and local production strategies.

Summary written by AI

Overview Original source

4 Oct 2022

Impact of India's Rice Export Ban and Thailand and Vietnam's Plans to Raise Rice Export Prices

The Minister assessed that India's rice export ban mainly affects broken rice, which Singapore consumes little of, and noted that Thailand and Vietnam have no confirmed plans yet to raise rice export prices.
Singapore employs a multi-pronged strategy including import diversification and a Rice Stockpile Scheme requiring importers to hold buffer inventory twice their monthly imports to ensure supply stability.
The government reviews inventory buffers regularly and is prepared to adjust measures if needed, while a strong Singapore dollar via MAS monetary policy tightening helps mitigate higher food import prices.
Additional support is provided through packages like the $1.5 billion MOF initiative to assist lower-income and vulnerable Singaporeans in facing food price impacts.

Summary written by AI

Overview Original source

4 Oct 2022

Locally-sourced Raw Materials in Food Grown under 30-by-30 Goal

Dennis Tan asked whether the "30 by 30" goal considers if food is grown using locally-sourced raw materials like feed and fertiliser.
Grace Fu responded that agri-inputs such as feed, fish fry, seeds, and fertiliser will be sourced both locally and overseas.
She noted that producing all agri-inputs locally is not feasible due to Singapore's limited land and resources.
Farms are encouraged to diversify their supply sources and maintain buffer stocks to ensure business continuity and resilience.

Summary written by AI

Overview Original source

3 Oct 2022

Update on Local Supply of Live and Chilled Chicken

Singapore’s overall chicken supply remains stable, with 25 accredited export countries including Thailand, Australia, the United States, and Brazil.
The Singapore Food Agency is expanding sources, such as Indonesia, which began exporting frozen chicken in July 2022 and has expressed interest in supplying live and chilled chicken.
The government encourages businesses and households to diversify their supply chains and food choices to mitigate the impact of external disruptions on food resilience.

Summary written by AI

Overview Original source

3 Oct 2022

Percentage of Hawker Centres with Centralised Dishwashing Services

Louis Ng asked for the percentage of hawker centres with centralised dishwashing services over the past five years and the Ministry’s plans to increase adoption, to which Grace Fu replied that 16 out of 111 hawker centres have implemented such services, including all eight Socially-Conscious Enterprise Hawker Centres and eight others using the Productive Hawker Centres programme, with some stallholders also adopting ad-hoc services.
Grace Fu emphasized that support from Hawkers’ Associations and stallholder buy-in is critical for adoption, and the National Environment Agency provides transitional subsidies under the PHC programme, including 70% subsidy in the first two years, 50% in the third, and 30% in the fourth year for existing centres.
For new hawker centres, centralised dishwashing services will be implemented from the start, with subsidies of 50% and 30% of fees extended to stallholders in the first and second years respectively.

Summary written by AI

Overview Original source

3 Oct 2022

Regulation of Home-based Private Dining Businesses to Safeguard Public Health

Sitoh Yih Pin asked if the Ministry tracks the number of home-based private dining businesses and whether they need regulation for public health, to which Grace Fu explained that the Singapore Food Agency does not track these businesses due to their small scale and low risk.
Grace Fu stated that home-based private dining businesses are permitted under HDB and URA schemes but are not required to be licensed by SFA, though they must comply with existing food safety regulations.
The Ministry does not expect a substantial increase in such businesses but will continue monitoring and periodically reviewing regulatory requirements to ensure public health safeguards.

Summary written by AI

Overview Original source

3 Oct 2022

Reducing Use of Disposables for Dine-in Meals at Hawker Centres

Louis Ng Kok Kwang inquired about the proportion of hawker stallholders using disposables for dine-in meals over the past five years and the Ministry’s future plans to reduce their use.
Grace Fu Hai Yien stated that since 2016, the NEA has banned disposable crockery for dine-in at new hawker centres, and since 2018, this applies to new stallholders at existing centres.
She noted that stallholders in hawker centres with centralised dishwashing already use reusable crockery, and most stallholders generally use reusable items.
The NEA does not track specific statistics on stallholders providing disposables, but the policy framework actively discourages their use.

Summary written by AI

Overview Original source

12 Sep 2022

Laboratory-grown Food Options as Significant Component of Food Security in Singapore

The Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment and the Singapore Food Agency are monitoring novel foods like cultured meat as a potential part of Singapore’s food security strategy, but it is too early to determine their significant contribution due to the industry’s early stage.
Affordability of novel foods is expected to improve over time with technological advancements, maturing manufacturing processes, and market growth, supported by Singapore’s agri-food innovation ecosystem.
The safety of novel foods is assessed through a rigorous framework that requires companies to submit detailed information for review by experts, with compliance to food safety standards as a prerequisite for sale.
The government has established the Future Ready Food Safety Hub to research the long-term safety of novel foods and maintains an up-to-date regulatory framework with local and international partners.
The government’s stand is that novel foods must undergo comprehensive safety reviews and meet all regulatory standards before being approved for consumption, ensuring public safety.

Summary written by AI

Overview Original source

2 Aug 2022

Master Planning of 390-hectare Lim Chu Kang Area for High-Tech Agri-food Cluster

Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked about the criteria and inclusion of existing and conventional farms in the master plan for Lim Chu Kang's high-tech agri-food cluster.
Grace Fu Hai Yien stated that the master plan aims to boost sustainable food production under the "30 by 30" vision, with both existing and new farms able to bid for plots after planning stages.
SFA is agnostic to farming methods and will select proposals based on productivity and resource efficiency, without specifying the number of existing farms to be included.

Summary written by AI

Overview Original source

2 Aug 2022

Food Security Strategies for 2050 and Beyond

Singapore’s long-term food security strategy for 2050 and beyond is a multi-pronged approach focusing on import source diversification and enhancing local production, with active accreditation of overseas food sources growing from 172 to 180 countries and regions between 2019 and 2021.
The strategy includes the “30 by 30” goal to locally produce 30% of nutritional needs by 2030, which aims to build resilience against supply disruptions and take into account global population growth and climate change impacts.
Investments in climate-resilient food production, such as controlled-environment indoor farming and innovations in novel foods like plant-based and cultured meats, are part of efforts to ensure food security by mitigating uncertainties from erratic weather and supply chain risks.
Continuous collaboration with industry and consumers is emphasized to sustain and advance Singapore’s food security strategy for the long term.

Summary written by AI

Overview Original source

1 Aug 2022

Hawker Stalls Left Empty in Last Three Years

Over the past three years, vacancy rates at hawker centres managed by the National Environment Agency (NEA) or its appointed operators have remained low at about 2% to 4% each year, similar to pre-COVID-19 levels.
Vacant stalls are typically put up for tender or application and are usually occupied within three to six months.
Hawkers may give up their stalls due to reasons like poor health or poor business, and those in arrears can approach NEA for case-by-case support such as extended payment time.

Summary written by AI

Overview Original source

1 Aug 2022

Ratio of Successful to Unsuccessful Tenderers for Cooked Food Hawker Stalls in Toa Payoh, and Mean Bid Prices

From 2019 to 2021, there was an average of 13 tender bids per cooked food stall in Toa Payoh, matching the national average of 13.5.
The mean and median bid prices for successful tenders were $1,323 and $1,417 respectively, with rentals fixed for the first three years before review.
The government emphasizes a fair, open, and transparent tender process with no minimum bid and publishes successful bids, and notes eligible Singaporeans and Permanent Residents can participate, including coffeeshop stallholders.

Summary written by AI

Overview Original source

1 Aug 2022

Replacement Sites for Lim Chu Kang Farms

The Ministry for National Development stated that the western part of Lim Chu Kang will be needed for Singapore Armed Forces training, with development works commencing in two phases later this year and next year.
Agencies have provided support since 2014, including facilitating tendering for new plots, funding for technology adoption, and regulatory expediting, with 24 of the 62 remaining farms having secured replacement sites.
The remaining 38 farms are still seeking sites or winding up, and the development timeline cannot be delayed further to replace land given up for Tengah New Town.

Summary written by AI

Overview Original source