Dutch agritech company Growy will be joining a number of international and local companies that have sunk their roots in land-scarce Singapore to research and develop vertical farming.

The firm said its vertical farm in Changi Logistics Centre, which starts production in the second half of the year, will be able to produce up to 500 tonnes of leafy greens annually, supporting Singapore’s “30 by 30” sustainable food security goal.

Growy plans to harvest a full range of produce including microgreens, baby leaf salad mixes and herbs in the 8,000 sq m growth space.

The company signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on April 10 with several leading institutions in the Netherlands and Singapore involved in research and development (R&D) of vertical farming.

Said Mr Ard van de Kreeke, the Founder and Co-Chief Executive Officer of Growy: "The MOU builds a bridge between the Dutch renowned horticulture expertise and Singapore's thriving food security R&D ecosystem.

"Linking those two knowledge powerhouses will result in an acceleration of indoor vertical farming in Singapore and beyond".

In 2019, Singapore launched its "30 by 30" initiative, which aims to have 30 per cent of the country's nutritional needs produced by the local agri-industry by 2030.

Vertical farming, which involves growing produce in stacked layers, plays a key role in meeting this goal.

With less than 1 per cent of its land available for farming, Singapore has been tapping technology to grow food in a climate resilient and efficient way.

Apart from occupying less land space than traditional farms, vertical farms are able to produce crops year-round, due to the use of advanced technology to control all parameters of growth.

Local agri-tech start-up, Indoor Farm Factory Innovation, is able to produce 50 types of crops a year in its 3,530 sq m vertical farm space in Tuas.

Another urban farm, GroGrace, is able to produce 33 tonnes of leafy greens annually in its 650 sq m space in Jurong.

Growy's farm in Changi is partially funded by the Singapore Food Agency's (SFA) "30x30 Express" grant.

Close to $40 million in funding was awarded by the SFA to several companies in 2020 to support the growth of the local agri-food enterprises and accelerate local food production.

Growy, which also owns vertical farms in the Netherlands, Germany and Kuwait, said it chose Singapore as the location for their latest farm because of the support of local government agencies.

Dutch ambassador to Singapore Anneke Adema said the agreement between Growy and its R&D partners in Singapore and the Netherlands will increase knowledge in efficient vertical farming.

"The Netherlands believes companies, knowledge institutions and governments working hand-in-hand leads to the best results," she added.

Republic Polytechnic (RP), which signed the agreement with Growy, plans to tap its Agriculture Research and Innovation Centre for the partnership.

The centre helps local farms increase crop production and enhance farm operations. RP also offers a Diploma in Applied Science (Urban Agricultural Technology).

The agri-food industry in Singapore currently employs about 2,000 people, and it is projected that 4,700 new and redesigned jobs will be created by 2030.

 

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