Oral Reply to Parliamentary Question on Haze-related (Essential Services and Food Supply Resilience)

Questions:

Dr Charlene Chen: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) whether NEA has assessed the impact of the 2026 haze on customer footfall and stallholders' earnings at hawker centres and markets; and (b) whether additional targeted financial assistance will be considered for stallholders experiencing significant haze-related income losses, beyond existing temporary support measures for rising operating costs.

Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) whether the Ministry has assessed the impact of prolonged haze, compounded by prevailing weather conditions, on crop growth and agricultural productivity (i) locally and (ii) in Singapore’s food import sources; and (b) whether there are anticipated risks to Singapore’s food supply resilience and affordability.

Mr Fadli Fawzi: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment whether any support will be provided to hawkers who have suffered a reduction in footfall at hawker centres during the October 2026 haze episode.

Answer:

Mr Speaker, may I address Question No 53 and written Question No 39 on today’s Order Paper? The response to this question also addresses a related Parliamentary Question filed by MP Mr Fadli Fawzi for sitting on 4 November 2026.

Members have asked about the impact of the haze on our food supply and our hawkers. I will address these in turn.

Food Supply Resilience

First, on food supply. This year’s haze has not affected Singapore's food supply. Singapore imports food from more than 180 countries and regions. Sourcing broadly helps to reduce concentration risks and enables industry to switch to alternative sources when needed.

We have heard feedback from wholesalers that prolonged haze may impact vegetable growth. For local farms, feedback is that the overall impact has generally been minimal with operations returning to normal following recent improvement in air quality. SFA will continue to monitor the impact on food supply and implement measures to address concerns as necessary.

Supporting Our Hawkers

Turning to our hawkers, the haze has had some impact on footfall at our hawker centres and markets. NEA has been assessing the situation at centres managed by NEA or NEA-appointed operators. While hawker centres have generally experienced some drop in footfall, the extent varies across centres.

At the same time, a reduction in footfall is often compensated by increase in take-away orders. We will continue to monitor the impact on our hawkers as the situation evolves.

Hawkers have been receiving support to help with current cost pressures. As previously announced, the Government is providing support to eligible stallholders over a six-month period, from September 2026 to February 2027, to mitigate the impact of cost increases arising from the Middle East situation. All eligible stallholders are receiving $200 per month for cooked food stalls and $100 per month for market slab or lock-up stalls, which can be used to offset their monthly rent.

Conclusion

Taking these factors into account, there are no plans at this juncture to introduce additional haze-specific financial assistance for hawkers. While the haze situation has improved with the onset of the north-east monsoon, we are prepared to take appropriate measures should circumstances change.