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see a future for his vegetable business after 30 years of back-
breaking work. Plans by the industrialised city-state to set aside
more land for farming to boost food security have given him hope that
the fourth generation of the Wong family can continue the business
started by his grandfather. "In the past, my thinking was I'll do it
for as long as I can," Wong, a stocky 48- year-old with a face
prematurely aged by too much sun, told AFP at his farm near an army
base in the northwestern suburbs. "How could I make any plans for my
business when I could see no future in it?" he said in a mix of
Mandarin and English. "It's difficult for the next generation to
continue in this business if there's no help from the government."
Mah Bow Tan, the minister for national development, recently
announced government plans to allocate more land for intensive
farming in a country better known for banking, shopping malls,
electronics and pharmaceuticals. The established strategy of securing
the city- state's food supply by keeping a rice stockpile,
maintaining a small agricultural sector and diversifying import
sources has worked well, Mah explained. However, soaring food prices
amid a global supply crunch in 2008 , when inflation hit 28- year
highs, highlighted the need to find new ways of reducing Singapore's
dependence on food imports. Food prices have since stabilised but
will remain high going forward, said Mah, who added that local
farming can serve as a "strategic stockpile" . A fund will be set up
to help farmers and the industry expand. The aim is to eventually
raise local production of vegetables to 10 percent of local demand
from five percent currently, eggs to 30 percent from 23 percent
and fish to 15 percent from four percent, the government said. "As
Singapore is limited by its land resources, we cannot expect to be
self-sufficient in all varieties of food as this can only be achieved
at the expense of other developments," the Agri- Food and Veterinary
Authority told AFP. It said technology will help maximise farm output
despite limited land. Singapore is among the world's most densely
populated countries and currently sets aside just three percent of its
total area of 710 square kilometres (284 square miles) for
agriculture. Its top fresh food suppliers include Australia, Brazil,
Indonesia and Malaysia. Thanks to rapid economic progress and rising
incomes, Singaporeans can afford a full range of food products from
all over the world. The former British colony had a thriving
agriculture sector in the 1960 s, when there were an estimated 20
,000 farms spread over more than 14 ,000 hectares (34 ,580 acres).
Now it has only 228 farms occupying 708 hectares (1 , 749 acres).
Pressing economic and housing needs in the 1980 s resulted in the
government resettling farmers and using the land instead for
industrial parks and high-rise flats to house its expanding
population. Farmers like Wong, whose farm produces a variety of
vegetables like endives and water spinach, are eagerly embracing the
opportunities offered by the new government policy. "Now there is a
chance to increase production if the government sets aside more
land," said Wong, who sells most of his produce to the country's
biggest supermarket chain. "I will want to expand my production if
there is a chance." His nephew William, 26 , is also excited by the
prospect of growing the family farm, which is leased from the
government. "If there is a very good opportunity to expand, why not?"
said William, who has a diploma in civil engineering but has instead
chosen to help with the farm's administration and business
development. "My family has already built a very good foundation for
the business."
