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Time to rethink Singapore’s ‘30 by 30’ target for locally produced nutritional needs

Better decisions can be made without the pressure of an arguably unrealistic deadline

 Elysia Tan
Published Thu, May 23, 2024 · 05:00 AM
    • Local producers' share of vegetables and seafood consumed in Singapore has slipped over the past three years, though hen shell production has risen.
    • Local producers' share of vegetables and seafood consumed in Singapore has slipped over the past three years, though hen shell production has risen. PHOTO: BT FILE

    SINGAPORE’S agriculture industry has seen a spate of closures. Oh Chin Huat Hydroponics Farms closed in 2021. Lian Wah Hang Quail & Poultry Farm shut down in mid-2023. Barramundi Group ceased fish production in Singapore shortly after. And just last month, VertiVegies scrapped plans for an indoor vegetable farm.

    Beyond these individual setbacks, national-level statistics suggest that Singapore’s “30 by 30” goal – locally producing 30 per cent of its nutritional needs by 2030 – looks increasingly improbable.

    It might be time to drop that specific target and re-evaluate what the country should aim for.

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