Lim Chu Kang to be developed into high-tech agri-food cluster

Vivienne Tay
Published Fri, Oct 2, 2020 · 07:31 AM

THE Singapore Food Agency (SFA) will master plan the Lim Chu Kang area in Singapore to create a high-tech agri-food cluster which spans about 390 hectares.

It will undertake the master plan in consultation with stakeholders and complete it over the next two to three years. SFA expects development works to start in 2024 and be carried out in phases, it said on Friday in a press statement.

All farms currently in the Lim Chu Kang area will be able to stay until the end of their leases. SFA will offer 10 food farms and 13 non-food farms whose leases are expiring between 2020 and 2022 a short tenancy extension - after which the land will be redeveloped.

One food farm and two non-food farms whose leases are expiring between 2026 and 2027 will be allowed to continue until their leases expire.

SFA and National Parks Board will work closely with these farms to support their transition plans, the former said.

"We envision that the redeveloped Lim Chu Kang agri-food cluster will produce more than three times its current food production," SFA noted.

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An average vegetable farm in Singapore occupies around two hectares of land and produces 130 tonnes per hectare a year. In contrast, a high-tech, high productivity vegetable farm has the potential to produce over 1,000 tonnes per hectare a year with less than one hectare of land.

As part of the master plan exercise, SFA will look into developing shared facilities to lower production costs and resource use. It will also put in place water, electricity and transport infrastructure to support high-tech farming systems and attract a new generation of skilled agri-tech workers.

SFA said it will address pain points the industry has raised in the past and provide farms with the necessary infrastructure and support to scale up and boost production. It will also adopt circular economy principles to explore how it can conserve the use of resources and minimise waste, it said.

Although agri-food production is the key focus of the master plan, SFA will consider how to incorporate and support other relevant elements such as farmers' markets and education tours.

"The redevelopment of agriculture land in Lim Chu Kang allows us to uplift the local agri-food sector, and develop sustainable, highly productive and industry-leading farms of the future. This will strengthen our food security and create good, green jobs for Singaporeans," SFA said.

About 1 per cent of land in Singapore is set aside for agriculture use, according to SFA.

The master plan does not encroach into the Sungei Buloh Nature Park Network which includes Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve and Kranji Marshes, it noted.

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