July 5, 2022

 

Singapore not planning to venture into local poultry farming, says minister

 

Singapore does not intend to farm poultry locally, said the city-state's Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, Grace Fu, during a parliamentary session.

 

Addressing questions by several Members of Parliament (MPs) on Singapore's food supply and Malaysia's chicken export ban, Fu reiterated Singapore's multi-pronged approach to mitigating the impact of food supply disruptions.

 

First, the Singapore Food Agency works with the industry to build supply network resilience, having accredited over 170 countries and regions as sources.

 

Chicken from Malaysia accounts for 99% of Singapore's live and chilled chicken imports, but only about 34% of all chicken imports – as there is the alternative of frozen chicken, said Fu.

 

Asked by one MP why more countries had not been approved for live and chilled chicken imports, Fu said that Thailand and Australia had already been accredited. For other countries, concerns include food safety and occurrences such as avian flu.

 

Importers themselves may gravitate to the source market that is most competitive, whether because it is closest or has an established logistical chain, she added.

 

"Because of competition, they will be reluctant to try new areas that may increase the cost, they may be reluctant to try new products because it is not familiar to the consumers," she explained.

 

As for whether diversification could be made a licensing condition, Fu noted that Singapore already has such a condition for egg importers, adding: "We will think about whether it is necessary for chicken as well."

 

Singapore has accredited 25 countries for chicken imports. During the recent ban, industry partners and trade associations have increased imports of frozen chicken from Brazil and the United States, and chilled chicken from Thailand and Australia, added Fu.

 

Secondly, Singapore aims to produce up to 30% of nutritional needs locally and sustainably by 2030. Asked if Singapore plans to accelerate this "30 by 30" goal, Fu said that it is "already very ambitious" and the transformation required will take time.

 

This goal also does not cover poultry. When asked if there could be local poultry production, Fu said: "Given our land, labour, energy and water constraints, we prefer to concentrate on farming food items that can be produced in a resource-efficient and commercially sustainable manner."

 

- The Business Time