Back to the future: 21st-century farming comes to Singapore

IT'S pretty obvious why news last week that Singapore will be freeing up land for farming struck many as intriguing - agriculture hardly figures in the tiny city state, one of the world's most urbanised and densely populated countries, that imports over 90 per cent of its food.

But the decision to parcel out about 60 hectares of land from August for producing crops and other food items is also highly significant for a few other factors: It will be the first time in more than two decades that the government is tendering out acreage for agriculture - and specifically high-tech farming - and the move to raise local food produce is a bid to secure Singapore's food security against overseas supply disruptions. If (or when) developed to its full potential, the foray into farming could spell a new industry with spinoffs that span not only increased local food supply but a…