SINGAPORE, Nov 16 — From next year, Singaporeans can expect more of their favourite Asian vegetables to reach their plates quicker and fresher, thanks to a slew of high-tech urban farms that are set to begin operations.
For vertical farming company &ever, it can even sell its vegetables “while they are still living”, said the firm’s chief executive officer Henner Schwarz.“You don't need to refrigerate it down to 4°C (to keep it fresh),” he said.
“You can actually have it at room temperature when you buy it at the supermarket, and it continues to grow at home. It stays fresh for at least a week.”
&ever currently has a fully operational indoor farm using the same technology in Kuwait that produces about half a tonne of vegetables each day.
Its Singapore outfit, which will be located within the Changi vicinity and will be operating from around October next year, will be larger and produce more than double that amount — about 1.25 tonnes a day — said Schwarz.
The Hamburg-based company is just one eight companies — an egg farm and seven vegetable farms — to have accepted the Singapore Food Agency’s (SFA) 30x30 Express Grant to ramp up local food production.
The SFA said the grant will accelerate Singapore’s efforts to meet its 30 by 30 goal, which is to secure 30 per cent of the country’s nutritional needs with food produced locally by 2030.
It will also help to minimise disruptions to Singapore’s food security, due to events such as the Covid-19 pandemic.Part of the grant requirements, said some recipients who are growing vegetables, is to ensure at least 50 per cent of the crops grown are Asian greens like xiao bai cai or kangkong.
The Singapore firms
Two Singaporean companies that have accepted the grant have similarly shared some of the innovative technologies that they will be using.
Over at the south-western end of the island, Indoor Farm Factory Innovation (IFFI) intends to leverage on its parent company Tranzplus’ knowledge of automation to make its work processes more efficient.
Alfred Tham, IFFI’s chief executive officer, said robotics will also help reduce operational costs at its 38,000 square foot facility at JTC Space @ Tuas when it is ready for operation in the second half of next year.
Beyond that, Tham said their machines will have the ability to analyse the condition of the plants, such as when they will be ready for harvest.
All this, he said, will not only help to reduce manpower needs, but also scale up production to meet SFA’s minimum requirement of 200 tonnes of produce annually.
Tham said IFFI will be using an indoor farming methodology of soil-based cultivation, which allows them to have greater flexibility in the variety of crops that they can grow.
What this means is that the plants can be grown in separate containers, which enables them to customise the growing conditions as needed.
Moreover, it reduces the risk of cross contamination between plants, said Tham. Still, he said they will be utilising a special water treatment system to reduce bacteria. — TODAY
