SINGAPORE - Mr Lim Neo Chian will be appointed chairman of the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) board for a two-year term, with effect from Friday (April 1).

Mr Lim, who is currently the deputy chairman, succeeds Mr Koh Soo Keong, 64, who has served on the AVA board for 14 years, holding the chairmanship since April 2008.

In a joint statement with the Ministry of National Developmenton Thursday, AVA said Mr Lim, 62, brings invaluable experience from his career in the military, public and private sectors.

He previously headed the Singapore Tourism Board, ST Engineering, and JTC Corporation. He was also the Chief of Army from 1992 to 1995.

Mr Lim, who is also the chairman of Ascendas Hospitality Trust Management Pte Ltd and deputy chairman of Gardens by the Bay Company Ltd, said he was honoured to take on the AVA chairmanship.

"Moving ahead, our agri-food and veterinary ecosystem faces both emerging opportunities, as well as challenges.

"Working closely with the various stakeholders, we can now harness technological advances to find new solutions to our food supply and safety.

"I look forward to building on Mr Koh's dedicated work with AVA, and to guiding the AVA team to further advance its contributions to Singapore."

AVA paid tribute to Mr Koh in its statement, noting his efforts in helping it better address its varied responsibilities in safe food supply, animal and plant health, animal welfare and management, and agri-trade facilitation.

Under Mr Koh's guidance, AVA said it had strengthened food security for Singapore, including raising local farm productivity and ramping-up agricultural R&D and innovation.

He also spurred AVA to embrace private sector partnerships, as well as a robust risk management- and science-based approach to grow and diversify overseas food sources while upholding food safety standards.