Farmland south of Lim Chu Kang rezoned for defence

SINGAPORE – Agricultural land south of Lim Chu Kang will be zoned for defence use in the near future, and military land in the north, closer to other farms, will be reallocated for future farming use.

Concentrating farmland in the north of the area will advance development of an agri-food hub that has faced delays since it was announced in 2020 under the Lim Chu Kang masterplan.

The land-use changes were announced on May 25 by the Singapore Food Agency, the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF), the National Parks Board and the Singapore Land Authority.

“(This) will allow the Government to explore how the physical co-location of food and non-food farms to the north of Lim Chu Kang could benefit from shared facilities and integrated infrastructure planning for more efficient operations, better logistics and to lower production costs,” the organisations said.

Affected farms in the south may continue to remain on site until their land tenures expire, after which the land will be returned for consolidation for military use. The tenure expiry dates range from 2026 to the mid-2030s.

Five farm lease-holders currently occupy the southern plots at Neo Tiew Lane and Neo Tiew Road: Seng Choon Farm, Bollywood Farms, Gan Aquarium Fish Farm, Gallop Kranji Farm Resort and Malaysian Feedmills Farms, which has multiple agricultural tenants on its plot.

The government agencies added that there will be no early termination of leases.

Bollywood Farms is among five lease-holders currently occupying the southern plots at Neo Tiew Lane and Neo Tiew Road.

ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG

Affected farms that wish to continue operations when the re-zoning takes effect have to bid for agricultural land, as it is not guaranteed they will be relocated to the northern plot.

The government agencies said Singapore’s 2035 local production targets – which include producing 20 per cent of the country’s consumed fibre by that date – have taken into account the land use and transition plans in Lim Chu Kang.

“The impact on affected farms is not expected to have a material effect to our overall food supply,” they added.

The leases for Bollywood Farms and Gan Aquarium will expire in December 2026, and Gallop Kranji Farm Resort’s will expire in March 2027. They were notified since 2020 that no further tenure renewals would be granted, said SFA.

Gan Aquarium Fish Farm is among five lease-holders currently occupying the southern plots at Neo Tiew Lane and Neo Tiew Road.

ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG

The leases for Seng Choon – one of three egg farms in the country – and Malaysian Feedmills Farms will expire in 2036 and 2037 respectively, and they were given at least 10 years’ notice ahead of their lease expiry.

“All affected farms had been informed early, to provide clarity and enable them to have sufficient lead time for business and operational planning,” added the agencies.

SFA added that it is working closely with the egg farm to support its operations and minimise disruptions to safeguard the supply of locally produced eggs and Singapore’s broader food security. Local egg farms’ productivity has been more consistent than those of aquaculture and high-tech vegetable farms.

Seng Choon managing director Koh Yeow Koon said the egg farm was hoping to stay on at Neo Tiew Road beyond 2036 to make the best use of its investments in the latest farming technologies.

“With the lease decay, these investments would become harder to make. We are disappointed that the lease could not be extended,” he added.

The farm is currently working with the authorities to find a future site.

While Bollywood Farms’ 20-year lease expired in 2021, the Government granted two short-term tenancies “on a goodwill basis to facilitate its transition”. The latest extension expires on Dec 31, 2026.

“Bollywood Farms has since requested a further tenancy extension and we are considering the request carefully,” added SFA.

The organisations said the changes in land use announced on May 25 are part of the planning process for the Lim Chu Kang masterplan.

In 2020, SFA said about 390ha of land in the area – which stretches from near Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve to the south of Lim Chu Kang – will come under a masterplan to create a “high-tech, highly productive and resource-efficient agri-food cluster”.

It was later reported in 2024 that developmental work for the masterplan, which was to begin that year, was delayed.

With more land zoned for agriculture in the north, it is unclear how the masterplan’s profile will change.

“SFA is advancing the Lim Chu Kang masterplan through interagency planning and assessment on land use optimisation, infrastructure needs and environmental considerations, including coastal protection,” said the organisations.

The masterplan will also study infrastructure requirements for non-food farms such as ornamental fish farms and nurseries.

To test new ideas that could be applied under the masterplan, SFA will be embarking on a technical and feasibility study on a multi-tenant facility where multiple types of farms can operate under one roof and share resources, which can help reduce their production costs.

The agency is conducting market-sensing and technical studies to evaluate which concepts and ideas should be pursued.

Mr Ken Cheong, chief executive of the Singapore Agro-Food Enterprises Federation, hopes that the masterplan can be realised to bring in shared facilities for farms, so that local produce can be more cost-competitive with imports.

Post-harvest services – such as chillers to preserve the freshness of vegetables, fish-filleting services and chilled storage and distribution to retailers – will be crucial, he added.

MINDEF began the process of taking over the land parcels in the northern plot at Lim Chu Kang lane in late 2025. Tengah Airbase and Murai Camp are located nearby.

Converting the southern plot for military use ensures contiguous land that will better serve defence uses, said the agencies.

“The change in land use also increased the terrain capacity for MINDEF and the Singapore Armed Forces’ training,” added MINDEF.

“This will enhance training realism, support combined arms training across a wider range of training scenarios, and improve contiguity for platform operations – resulting in more effective training and operational readiness.”

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