SINGAPORE - The Government will tender out new plots of land for productive and high-tech farming with longer leases of 20 years, up from the 10 years announced previously, Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong said in his blog on Tuesday (May 9).
"This follows from feedback we've received from farmers that they needed a longer period to recover the investments for new technologies," he said.
In assessing the proposals for these new farm plots, the Government will place greater emphasis on quality and productivity considerations, said Mr Wong.
He added that the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore will release more details on the farm land tenders soon.
Mr Wong, who is also Second Minister for Finance, said the Government will also do more to help farmers adopt new technologies, which will help them "scale up" their businesses.
In his blog post, the minister noted that Singapore can enhance its food security by growing its own food, with local production providing a buffer when supply from overseas is disrupted.
"Given our limited space, we will not be able to produce all the food we need," he said. "However, new farming technologies allow us to significantly boost our production levels. Not only will this provide us with more locally grown food, it will also help our farmers scale up their businesses."
