I read with interest the report "Tender opens for 12 land parcels for vegetable farming" (ST Online, Aug 17).

Singapore imports most of its daily food supplies. It makes sense to try to increase the domestic supply as part of food security.

Another way to bump up the domestic food supply is to develop further the Republic's high-tech fish farming industry by leveraging its deep coastal waters.

The focus should be on tapping Singapore's tech capabilities when engaged in farming - whether it is of fish, vegetables or eggs.

In its call to tender for the farmland, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) is moving in the right direction with assessment criteria that is based on concept rather than price and where bidders will be judged on factors such as whether they can harness innovation to improve and sustain production.

Teo Kueh Liang