SINGAPORE - The number of local farms grew from 221 in 2019 to 260 in 2021, boosting local production and contributing more eggs, vegetables and seafood to dinner tables islandwide.
Local farms producing eggs contributed about 30 per cent of all eggs consumed here.
This is according to the Singapore Food Agency's (SFA) Singapore Food Statistics 2021 report that was published on Friday (April 8).
The total value of local production of these food items increased 13 per cent from $163.4 million in 2020 to $185.2 million in 2021.
SFA said: "Given Singapore's heavy reliance on imported food, local farms play an important role in the nation's food security.
"Local production serves as a buffer by reducing dependence on imports during supply disruptions."
The agency said it was committed to the nation's "30 by 30" goal - that is, to sustainably produce 30 per cent of its nutritional needs locally by 2030. Currently, 90 per cent of all food consumed here is imported.
In 2021, the average Singaporean consumed around 390 eggs, 100kg of vegetables, 22kg of seafood, 62kg of meat and 76kg of fruits.
SFA said that the upcoming development of a fourth egg farm in Singapore will further boost local capacity to meet about half of the Republic's demand for eggs when it becomes fully operational in 2024.
It reminded the public to support local produce by looking out for the bright red "SG Fresh Produce" logo when grocery shopping.
"With increased demand off-take for local produce, farms will be encouraged to increase production. This, in turn, strengthens Singapore's food supply resiliency," SFA said.
"SFA will continue to support local farms to improve productivity, while ensuring local production remains climate- resilient and resource-efficient."
The agency said it is committed to food safety by ensuring imported food meets safety standards, as well as by monitoring local farms and food establishments through licensing and inspection.
On average, SFA receives and investigates more than 17,000 cases of public feedback each year, the majority of which are related to food safety issues such as gastroenteritis incidents, poor hygiene practices, dirty premises and foreign matter found in food.
The number of major gastroenteritis incidents here has fluctuated over the past three years, with significantly fewer incidents in 2020 due to Covid-19-related dining restrictions and the drop in large-scale catering and self-service buffets.
In 2021, 43 major gastroenteritis incidents were reported - almost half of them due to food-borne illness.
These incidents were primarily attributed to poor housekeeping practices, SFA said in its report.
