Singapore is stepping up local food production to secure its food supply, alongside diversifying imports and stockpiling essential food items. Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has urged Singaporeans to support local produce and help strengthen the country’s food security.
At noon on Saturday (31 October), Wong uploaded a video to YouTube of his recent visit to Prime Aquaculture Sea Farm’s deep-sea fish farm off the eastern coast of Pulau Tekong. He was accompanied by Goh Hanyan, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Culture, Community and Youth, and for Sustainability and the Environment.
In the video, Wong stressed that maintaining food security was vital for Singapore. As the country imports almost all its food, it will continue to diversify its import sources and stockpile essential food items.
At the same time, local farms play a very important role, adding resilience to Singapore’s food supply through domestic production. The government is working with local farms to help them build capabilities, improve productivity and scale up production.
“All of us can do our part too by choosing local farmers and choosing local produce whenever we can. Every little bit helps in enhancing Singapore's food security.”
Prime Aquaculture Sea Farm began operations in July 2018 and now has 213 net cages. Each can hold between 6,000 and 10,000 fish, depending on the species. The young fish come from the company’s hatchery on Pulau Ketam, an island south of Pulau Ubin.
According to the farm’s assistant dirctor Marcus Ho, the entire process takes less than 24 hours: workers haul in the nets, place the fish in ice water to render them dormant, then pack them on ice for delivery to the fishery port.
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During the visit, Wong learnt about the process of farming fish for consumption and the farm’s daily operations, including how automation helps improve feeding. He was somewhat surprised to learn that the survival rate of young fish at the farm was between 30% and 40%.
Ho said biotechnology was the best technology currently available to the aquaculture industry. The Marine Aquaculture Centre produces high-quality fish eggs that yield fast-growing, disease-resistant fish, helping to improve survival rates. Goh noted that the government bears the cost of research and development on fish eggs. The centre comes under the Singapore Food Agency.
Wong learnt that rearing young fish accounts for a substantial share of the farm’s operating costs. It is a critical stage, as its success affects the health of the farmed fish and the stability of supply.
Although hatching fish eggs at the farm costs more than importing young fish from neighbouring countries, it offers better value because survival rates are higher and feed conversion rates are better. A better feed conversion rate means less feed is needed to produce more fish meat, helping to lower costs.
Wong asked whether the government could help the farm further develop overseas markets. In response, Yongyi Tan, who heads Prime Aquaculture Sea Farm, said the Singapore Food Agency had recently brought delegations from China and the EU to visit the farm.
The farm hosted Wong for lunch, serving sea bass, hybrid grouper, golden pomfret and red snapper.
