MP suggests supplying local produce to hawkers for a win-win outcome

Melvin Yong’s idea among others put forth to support ailing farming industry

- Cheryl Tan

Local produce could potentially be aggregated and supplied to hawkers to help create more "predictable and consistent" demand for farmers, said Mr Melvin Yong (Radin Mas) in Parliament on Aug 7.

This was among suggestions put forth by MPs to better support the ailing farming industry, following a spate of farm closures and falling food production in 2023.

Other suggestions raised included using grant funding to help offset some operational costs, and expanding government support to help farms scale up and commercialise.

The MPs' suggestions come in the wake of recent farm closures in Singapore's nascent agricultural sector, with players such as I.F.F.I and Sky Greens scaling down operations or shutting down completely.

Most recently, The Straits Times reported that Singapore's fourth egg farm was reconsidering the viability of setting up here, citing issues related to rising costs and challenges linked to biosecurity measures.

Agriculture sector observers and experts had cited high electricity prices and lack of local demand as among the main culprits behind the challenges that the industry faces.