Oral Reply to Parliamentary Question on Revised Local Production Targets

Question:

Mr Yip Hon Weng: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) how do the revised targets for fibre and protein productions by 2035 compare to the ‘30 by 30’ targets in terms of total local food production volume; and (b) how will the Ministry ensure that these revised targets are adequate, sustainable and resilient to current and future challenges.

Ms He Ting Ru: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) what is the rationale for setting targets specifically for (i) fibre and (ii) protein production in the Ministry's new 2035 farming goals; and (b) how is Singapore's food security measured vis-à-vis local farming production

Answer:

The previous “30 by 30” strategy sought to develop local capability and capacity to produce 30% of our nutritional needs by 2030. This has evolved into the Singapore Food Story 2, which aims to bring about overall food resilience – ensuring we have sufficient food supply in times of disruption. Local production is one of the food security pillars of the Singapore Food Story 2, complemented by the other pillars of import diversification, stockpiling, and global partnerships.

That said, we want to work with our local farms to build up the capability and capacity to supply 20% of our local consumption of fresh leafy and fruited vegetables, beansprouts, and mushrooms; and 30% of our local consumption of eggs and seafood. The revised local production targets take into account the important role of local food production as a regenerative and assured source of fresh food, the strengths of our local farming ecosystem and we take into account their potential for growth. We will focus on food types that are feasible to be produced at scale efficiently. This is consistently applied in our grants and land tenders.

Protein types such as meats are not part of the revised targets due to factors such as resource efficiency, land intensity, and climate conditions. Alternative protein is also excluded given the nascency of the sector. What we are not intending to produce locally, such as rice and poultry, will be considered under other pillars of the Singapore Food Story 2 such as import diversification and stockpiling.

The revised targets balance ambition with pragmatism, by considering what we can produce and scale locally as well as the challenges our nascent sector faces, including higher production costs and the need for substitute demand. To achieve them, we will continue to find ways to support new and existing farms in lowering production costs, building capability, strengthening the supply resilience of inputs, and enhancing demand offtake.

The Government will continue to invest efforts in building local production capability and capacity. Food security is a joint responsibility that requires the nation’s collective effort. Strong support from local consumers and businesses is essential for our farms to achieve scale and commercial viability. We will provide more information on our support schemes at COS.