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Responding to calls to boost local production, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu said the government’s approach is to help farms build capabilities and scale, rather than permanently offset their higher operating costs.<\/span><\/p>\n She said Singapore had “refreshed” its local production targets to build the capability and capacity to supply 20 per cent of local fibre consumption and 30 per cent of local protein consumption by 2035.<\/span><\/p>\n Growing local is <\/span>one of four key pillars under Singapore Food Story 2,<\/span> its main strategy for food resilience.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Since 2019, more than S$240 million (US$190 million) has been set aside to support local production, she said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The Agri-food Cluster Transformation Fund, established in 2021, helps farms adopt technologies and build capabilities, resulting in productivity improvements.<\/span><\/p>\n The government offers targeted and time-limited assistance during periods of shock, Ms Fu said, citing the one-off Farm Business Resilience Support grant introduced in July to help local farms cope with cost pressures from the Middle East conflict. More than 80 farms have applied over the past month.<\/span><\/p>\n On demand for local produce, Ms Fu said SFA is supporting the Singapore Agro-Food Enterprises Federation to aggregate supply from farms and match it with demand.<\/span><\/p>\n Ms Fu said the aim was not simply to increase the number of farms, subsidise operating costs indefinitely or guarantee demand, but to help farms make structural changes, gain economies of scale and become more viable over the long term.<\/span><\/p>\n Responding to Mr Ng’s call to clarify the long-term strategy on alternative proteins, Ms Fu said the global alternative protein industry has faced headwinds, including weaker-than-expected consumer acceptance.<\/span><\/p>\n The government has supported more than 50 alternative protein projects with about S$130 million in research and development funding.<\/span><\/p>\n For cell-based proteins, this includes efforts to reduce production costs and scale up manufacturing, while work on plant-based proteins includes improving their nutrition, taste and texture.<\/span><\/p>\n The minister said that Singapore has built a food system that has “weathered a pandemic, conflicts, and climate stresses”.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n “This resilience is the result of deliberate choices and collective effort by the government, the industry, and our people. It must be renewed with every generation,” she added.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n