Singapore’s agritech vision hits speed bumps

When the Singapore government boldly declared in 2019 that the country would meet 30% of its nutritional needs locally by 2030, it sparked off a flurry of enthusiasm among investors.

Pan (name changed on request), a first-generation farmer based in Singapore, was also sold on the government’s vision. In 2019, he co-founded an urban farm that leverages aeroponics technology.

Three years in, the number of licensed farms in the city-state has increased from 222 in 2019 to 260 as of April 2022. Around 30 indoor vertical farms were also operating in the city-state in 2019, up from just six in 2016. Agritech funding has soared, and industry leaders like Sustenir Agriculture and Commonwealth Greens Alpha have also emerged.

But for Pan, the past three years haven’t been as smooth sailing. Caught up in red tape and squeezed by macroeconomic pressures, he is less sanguine about his farm’s future. Other vegetable farmers Tech in Asia spoke with have shared similar anxieties.

As new entrants grapple with various challenges, local production targets haven’t scaled up.

According to the Singapore Food Agency (SFA), new farms can take up to five years before they can “produce at a steady level.” The agency expects vegetable production to increase “in the next few years” as more farms transition from construction to production phase.

Consumer staples like vegetables, eggs, and seafood still languish at similar levels from two years ago, according to the SFA’s 2021 Food Statistics Report.

With eight more years to go, can Singapore realize its “30 by 30” goal?

Entangled in red tape

For Pan, the biggest challenge he faced in setting up his farm wasn’t the lack of talent or low consumer awareness, but having to wait months to secure regulatory approval for his operations.

“There isn’t a designated agency that overlooks the entire process from farm-building to obtaining a farming license,” he laments. Pan shares that he has had to personally negotiate with eight government agencies in order to get his plans for a new rooftop farm approved.

Officially, the SFA – a statutory board under the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment – oversees food safety and security in Singapore. Farm licensing falls under this department’s purview, but the process of setting up and operating a farm often involves multiple government agencies.

In some cases, guidelines that govern the construction and use of urban farms could be ambiguous. Pan alleges that he faced difficulties finding specific guidelines for rooftop urban farms, though Singapore’s Building and Construction Authority does have certain rules for agricultural and livestock buildings.

Uprooted by the invisible hand

Still at the starting line?