'A transitional phase': Food security expert not worried by drop in local production of vegetables and seafood
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The challenges facing Singapore's agriculture sector — which have led in a dip in local production of vegetables and seafood — reflect a transitional phase for local farms, a food security expert told AsiaOne on Friday (June 6).Professor William Chen, dir'A transitional phase': Food security expert not worried by drop in local production of vegetables and seafood
The challenges facing Singapore's agriculture sector — which have led in a dip in local production of vegetables and seafood — reflect a transitional phase for local farms, a food security expert told AsiaOne on Friday (June 6).Professor William Chen, director of the Nanyang Technological University's (NTU) Food Science and Technology Programme, added that it is still «premature» to deem the Government's goal of producing 30 per cent of the country's nutritional needs locally by 2030 a failure.On Thursday, a report released by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) showed that just three per cent of the vegetables consumed in Singapore were grown locally, down from 3.2 per cent in 2023 and 3.9 the year before.Local production of seafood dropped from 7.3 per cent in 2023 to 6.1 per cent in 2024, which SFA attributed in its Singapore Food Statistics report that it is partly due to the «restructuring of a few fish farms in Singapore».Prof Chen said while the findings from SFA's report looks «disappointing», he sees several positive signs which are encouraging to the sector. Read more
