SINGAPORE - A bright red label on the packaging will help shoppers identify local produce with greater ease from this month onward.
The "SG Fresh Produce" logo was created in consultation with more than 30 local farmers, retailers and industry associations. It will be progressively rolled out to home-grown produce in supermarkets and retailers here, said the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) on Tuesday (Aug 4).
It added that this includes produce sold through online retailers such as RedMart.
The label won almost 70 per cent of the votes in an online exercise. Over 2,200 people had been invited to pick their favourite logo designs.
It was first unveiled at the launch of the Singapore Food Story in February. Then Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli had urged consumers to look out for the label and support local produce when they shop.
The push to support local produce comes as the Republic ramps up local food production in order to hit its 30 by 30 goal - to grow enough food locally to meet 30 per cent of its nutritional needs by 2030.
Dr Choo Li Nah, senior director of SFA's communications and service quality division, said: "Beyond the Government's support for local farmers to ramp up production, demand from consumers is equally important to sustain a healthy and vibrant agri-food ecosystem.
"By choosing local produce, consumers can help support our local farmers and spur farmers to embrace technology and become more productive to meet increased demand."
Growing local is a key strategy in the SFA's three-pronged approach towards making Singapore a food secure nation, alongside diversifying food import sources to guard against global supply chain shocks and helping local businesses expand their operations overseas and export food produce back home.
Last year, local farms produced 14 per cent of leafy vegetables, 26 per cent of eggs and 10 per cent of fish consumed here. Fish, leafy vegetables and eggs are the three most commonly consumed food items in Singapore.
SFA had earlier said it would continue to work with supermarket chains such as FairPrice, Cold Storage and Prime Supermarket to encourage people to buy local produce.
This includes organising joint promotions and displaying in-store branding collaterals with key messages to promote local produce.
Madam Esther Chia, 68, told The Straits Times in Mandarin: "With the red label, it will definitely make the local produce more prominent and easier to find."
The homemaker said that she always purchases locally produced eggs, even though they are more expensive than those from across the Causeway, as she feels that they "are fresher and taste better".
"The pandemic made us realise we can't always depend on food imports. If you have border closures you can't always get your food from elsewhere. That's why I always support home-grown produce," she said.
