Final month, Malaysia introduced a rooster export ban in an effort to manage costs of domestically bought rooster. Singaporeans have been justifiably unsettled — Malaysian rooster is likely one of the three main sources of imported rooster in Singapore, with the opposite two being American and Brazilian imported rooster.
Whereas many people who’ve grown up on this small city-state have possible heard, the continued narrative is Singapore is reliant on international commerce to outlive, however few of us have most likely seen what the issue seems to be like up shut; and this latest transfer has been a impolite wake-up name to many.
Not all have been caught off guard although. Singapore’s authorities has truly been conscious of the necessity to diversify our meals provide, and native manufacturing is a part of that plan.
The Singapore Meals Company (SFA) has its personal targets as a part of Singapore’s Inexperienced Plan 2030, which is their model of ‘30 by 30’. This may imply that 30 per cent of our consumed meals might be produced domestically by 2030. So how is that this plan coming alongside?
Farming hits the roof in Singapore
Many people may be stunned to listen to that Singapore truly has farmers — and these will not be farmers from the kampung that many people could think about once we consider the agriculture trade in Southeast Asia.
As a substitute, the agritech and agrifood trade in Singapore is quintessentially Singaporean, incorporating expertise of their processes with a purpose to obtain higher outcomes.
The clearest instance of that is in city farming. In distinction to utilizing massive, open tracts of land for crops, buildings turn into the important thing location for agriculture as an alternative. Constructing rooftops, and even custom-built high-tech buildings can be utilized to provide meals and alleviate Singapore’s dependence on international imports.
SFA and the Housing Growth Board (HDB) have launched a young in Might 2020 for rooftop farms on public housing automotive parks.
For one, Citiponics operates a 1,800 sq. metre farm atop a multi-storey carpark in Ang Mo Kio, rising between three and 4 tonnes of pesticide-free greens a month.
Based in 2016, Citiponics goals to develop protected produce by means of its zero-waste farming course of. It has a proprietary vertical farming expertise referred to as Aqua-Natural System (AOS) — this falls beneath a solid-based soilless tradition, which is totally different from the likes of conventional farming and hydroponic farming system.
It was created particularly for farming in shut proximities to households and neighbourhoods.
Among the benefits embrace it being a zero-waste farming system the place each part is recyclable and reusable, in comparison with conventional farming the place you may generate wastage from soil and water use.
– Danielle Chan, co-founder of Citiponics
All of Citiponic’s farmed produce are segmented to house deliveries, close by residents, and chosen NTUC FairPrice retailers.
Citiponics shouldn’t be the one startup that engages in city farming on rooftops. Nicholas Goh and his workforce at Nature’s Worldwide Commodity are doing one thing comparable in Tampines. He was one of many few who gained the tender bid in Might 2020 to create rooftop farms on public housing carparks.
The Tampines carpark farm grows greens like xiao bai cai, kailan and bayam to cater to the consumption habits of locals.
Based on Nicholas, city farming strategies differ from conventional farming. His enterprise makes use of its soil expertise — eco-friendly natural fertilisers — to develop the greens. Nicholas additionally makes use of sensors to assist establish potential crop issues, which he says helps him save money and time.
“I imagine in a strategic farming answer, which is to do small, handle nicely and be strategically positioned. City farming defines that as a farm, because it provides and dietary supplements the wants of the residents,” he stated.
From farming on buildings to farming in buildings
The concept of city farming may be taken even additional. What occurs if as an alternative of getting city farming simply on rooftops, complete buildings are {custom} made with a purpose to cater to the wants of city farming?
One firm that’s doing that is Archisen — it’s an agritech startup in Singapore that’s centered on producing greens such for native consumption.
Based on co-founders Sven Yeo and Vincent Wei, “Meals safety is an extension of Singapore’s 5 pillars of defence, and innovation and tech can maintain native produce low-cost in the long term.”
City farming is necessary for Singapore due to meals safety. We noticed the results of COVID-19 on the availability chain with empty grocery store cabinets, and most lately, with the availability points referring to Malaysian poultry. It clearly demonstrates the vulnerability of the availability chain to disruptions, and there are restricted choices to construct resilience with out city farming in Singapore.
– Sven Yeo and Vincent Wei, co-founders of Archisen
In an try to extend native manufacturing, Archisen makes use of a excessive tech city farm that is ready to imitate the atmosphere the place crops are naturally grown, and have already developed their very own city farming working system often known as Cropdom.
They’re additionally planning to combine automation into their city farm, and develop the enterprise with extra city farms.
Clearly, startups similar to these start with an finish in thoughts — to assist Singapore obtain a point of self-sustainability in terms of meals safety, not less than for greens.
However our native dietary wants don’t simply include greens. What about meat and fish?
Aquaculture in Singapore
Singapore consumes 120,000 tonnes of seafood yearly — this quantities to about 16kg of fish per particular person. What’s worse, lots of the species that we devour are unsustainable as a result of overfishing. So the place can an alternate supply of fish be discovered?
For Singapore, aquaculture can play a task. The method entails preserving and elevating fish, earlier than having them equipped to the native marketplace for consumption.
Just like city agriculture, expertise right here performs a key position. Atlas Aquaculture, a land-based aquaculture startup in Singapore, makes use of expertise to make sure that the seafood that Singaporeans devour may be produced domestically.
Situated in Sungei Tengah, they’ve all kinds of consultants on website to make sure that their fish are of top of the range.
The system that Atlas makes use of permits them to recycle and reuse over 95 per cent of their water, which is one other commodity with restricted provide in Singapore.
Nevertheless, using expertise shouldn’t be at all times straightforward.
Sustaining wholesome water high quality takes a considerable amount of scientific data and may be daunting for the widespread operator to method. Our first model of Recirculating Aquaculture Programs used present elements from comparable industries, solely to be taught that there was a lot enchancment wanted.
We have now since {custom} made new filtration elements for our techniques, and might be creating AI and machine studying quickly. With actual automation being monitored and managed by AI, we are able to take away human error and improve effectivity.
– Kane McGuinn, founder and CEO of Atlas Aquaculture
Their tenacity and ingenuity additionally implies that it’s not solely fish that aquaculture can produce — associated fish and marine merchandise may also be produced. Atlas has already efficiently managed to provide mussels and oysters that assist filter the water, in addition to crops similar to seaweed and sea grapes.
“We’re working in direction of Singapore’s objective of 30 per cent by 2030, however it’s a monumental activity. It’s going to take an enormous quantity of funding and cooperation to even get near this objective,” he provides.
Funding within the agrifood and agritech industries
In fact, each city agriculture and aquaculture have their very own points. Given how technologically intensive they’re, cautious consideration is required for the additional growth of those techniques.
This space is one the place startups would admire help in, however how is the funding panorama like for these industries?
An funding accomplice at a enterprise capital agency that Vulcan Publish spoke to acknowledged fairly frankly that the outlook was not very optimistic — the upcoming recession is predicted to hit each sector onerous, and the agritech sector is not any totally different.
“The sectors are nonetheless small, and VCs should not have a really sturdy urge for food for agritech and agrifood startups in the interim,” he reasoned additional.
However these enterprise corporations have causes for his or her doubts. For one, the capital-intensive nature of those startups could possibly be a barrier to some buyers.
One other subject pertains to the viability of agritech merchandise. Excessive prices of manufacturing typically translate into larger value factors for customers when these merchandise lastly hit the cabinets, and enterprise corporations view this as a major barrier for startups to beat.
Customers in Asia are primarily involved with value reasonably than the origin of the product. Why would I pay additional if it brings me the identical dietary worth as standard decisions? Costs may be introduced down, however we’re not seeing that.
– Funding accomplice at a enterprise capital agency
In fact, this doesn’t imply that the agritech and agrifood sectors can’t count on any help in terms of elevating capital. The funding accomplice talked about that there are a number of modifications that VCs want to see in these startups.
Firstly, he hopes that these startups correctly research their viewers to see if their enterprise methods are nonetheless best. One other level is for these startups to chop down on operation prices to scale back money burn.
“These modifications would actually incentivise VCs to rethink their assumptions concerning the trade, and doubtless look extra favourably upon funding these startups.”
As Singapore strikes in direction of enhancing self-sufficiency for meals consumption, many startups appear wanting to help this development. However as we are able to see, it’s not straightforward for them.
Excessive tech prices appear to be a hindrance for them on many ranges — it makes scaling tough, and supplies a ‘Catch 22’ when trying to find funding. Buyers are reluctant to take a position due to the quantity of capital required to make them profitable, however with out funding, development is tough.
There’s hope although. These startups are additionally reporting that gross sales have been encouraging, and costs for these merchandise are slowly matching as much as client expectations; and at some point, we might even see a case the place these startups assist Singaporeans take care of provide chain disruptions.
Featured Picture Credit score: Archisen
