Safety is uppermost
It's such a waste. Some of the crops are practically ready to eat, but I guess safety is more important. FARMER WONG KOK FAH (above)
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VEGETABLE farmer Wong Kok Fah is seeing red these days - hard not to, given that the lush crops of kailan, chye sim and Chinese cabbage of farms in the area are being destroyed because of a red dye.
Normally Mr Wong, 45, would be harvesting his prized vegetables but yesterday, he and five workers were disposing of over 200 tonnes of produce from the 3ha he farms.
'It's such a waste,' Mr Wong said. 'Some of the crops are practically ready to eat, but I guess safety is more important.'
Farmers on five other plots were facing the same heartbreaking task, one that will eventually see 200 tonnes of vegetables dumped.
The farm plots in the Lorong Semangka area of Sungei Tengah were collateral damage from a Republic of Singapore Air Force training exercise on Nov 23.
The elite Black Knights aerial display team was testing red dye used to create a plume of smoke from the exhausts of their F-16C jets, but some was blown over crops, trees and vehicles.
Mr Wong discovered the problem last Tuesday when he saw that his farm netting was speckled with red spots.
The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) stepped in and told farmers on Friday night that all their crops had to be disposed of.
Dr Paul Chew, AVA's deputy director of veterinary public health, said: 'We have to take the precautionary measure...as the dye is not meant for consumption.'
Vegetable prices are not expected to be affected. The 200 tonnes of produce - about 10 lorry loads - that will be incinerated in Tuas comprise less than 1 per cent of Singapore's consumption, said Dr Chew.
Farmer Tan Bock Tat, 40, will lose 1.3ha of crops but he remains business-minded: 'The price of vegetables is very high now and I hope we will be compensated at market rates.'
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: 'We are in direct contact with the affected farms. All reasonable claims...will be considered and compensation paid accordingly.'
Vehicles were also affected. Mr Jason Sia, 29, unemployed, said his white Honda Civic was covered with droplets.
'I might have to polish it, which will cost $60 to $100. Worse still, I might need to repaint it,' he said.
Four other vehicles in the area were also affected.
Mindef has a hotline for queries: 1800-760- 8844.
shulis@sph.com.sg
mavistoh@sph.com.sg
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