Local production of veggies, seafood fell in 2024, but egg yields grew: Report

Overall, domestic food production made up less than 10% of total demand that year

- Shabana Begum

Local production of vegetables and seafood declined further in 2024, hindering the Republic's initial target of producing 30 per cent of its nutritional needs by 2030.

The 2024 figures come after a series of disruptions to the local farming sector, with some high-profile players closing down, and others delaying plans or scaling back production over the past couple of years.

Overall, local food production in 2024 made up less than 10 per cent of total demand, with vegetable farming and aquaculture production declining since 2021.

In 2024, 3 per cent of vegetables consumed were grown locally, down from 3.2 per cent in 2023.

Local seafood production dropped from 7.3 per cent in 2023 to 6.1 per cent in 2024, according to the 2024 Singapore Food Statistics report released on June 5.

The same year, there were 153 farms on land - most of which grow vegetables - down from 156 the year before. The 72 sea-based farms were also down from 98 the previous year.

The country's three egg farms, however, bucked the trend. These high-tech facilities produced 34.4 per cent of all eggs consumed in 2024, up from 31.9 per cent.

Singapore has three main pillars under its food security strategy.

The main one is diversifying food sources by importing from 187 countries and regions, followed by stockpiling rice in the event of emergencies.

But local production is still considered critical for the country's food security, as it ensures the Republic has access to key food types, such as seafood, eggs and vegetables, even during supply chain disruptions.

Since 2019, Singapore has had an aspirational target to locally produce 30 per cent of its nutritional needs by 2030, but it was revealed in Parliament in March that the 30-by-30 target is being reviewed.