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SINGAPORE: After Madame Tan Swee Jee’s husband was unable to find okra on a recent trip to the market, he revived his interest in agriculture and started planting again.
The 60-year-old retiree had started organic farming a few years ago, but her grandchildren and other activities left her little time to care for her garden. When Singapore ducked down for the “circuit breaker” period, she found time and reason to grow not only okra, but also tapioca, papaya, herbs, and other vegetables.
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“We depend on other (countries) for our food, if they don’t sell us we have nothing to eat,” he said in Mandarin. “In this way, at least I can still have a lady’s fingers.”
Mrs. Tan Swee Jee and her husband planted peanuts and sweet potatoes in their garden. (Photo courtesy of Tan Swee Jee)
Farm supply stores and companies that run urban agriculture workshops told CNA that there has been more interest in domestic farming since February or March.
Singapore raised its Disease Outbreak Response System (DORSCON) Status level to Orange on February 7 after some locally transmitted cases of COVID-19 were detected, sparking a brief wave of panic buying.
In mid-March, Malaysia imposed a movement control order that raised concerns that the country’s food supplies, including vegetables, eggs and fruits, could be affected. Authorities quickly came out to say that Malaysian food and essentials will continue to flow during the shutdown.
But Commerce and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing warned that Singapore would have to be ready to Disruptions in their food supply and other essentials such as blockades in various countries have diminished global production capacities and disrupted global supply chains. About 90 percent of Singapore’s food currently comes from abroad.
As the pandemic spread across the world and worsened here, Singapore announced on April 3 that most workplaces and schools would close in a period of circuit disruption that began on April 7, and that people had to leave their homes only for essential activities such as buying food and groceries.
GROWTH IN INTEREST, SALES
Vegetable plots at Farm 85 in Lim Chu Kang. (Photo: Zach Tan)
Farm 85 Trading, a vegetable farm that also sells seedlings and agricultural supplies, said thattheir sales werefive times after the circuit breaker was announced, with customers buying a variety of items from soil and seedlings to compost.
“Most of the customers we have seen are people who were new to agriculture or gardening … Almost all of the customers were determined to try growing groceries in their own homes,” said Zach Tan, farm manager.
Demand for agricultural supplies has increased at Farm 85 Trading amid the COVID-19 outbreak. (Photo: Zach Tan)
Kevin Tan, director of Ban Lee Huat Seed, said they saw a 50 percent increase in seed sales since the start of the outbreak, along with increased interest in Asian green leafy vegetables such as bak choy and kang kong. .
Urban agriculture social enterprise Edible Garden City has seen a surge in interest in home gardening, a spokesperson said. Inquiries about their edible landscaping service increased by 40 percent, but were unable to follow up on these requests after the circuit breaker measures were initiated.
“Many of those who asked about garden construction mentioned COVID-19 as one of the many reasons they wanted to have a home garden … Many also added that they now see food security as an important issue in Singapore.” said the spokesman.
Two centers that teach organic agriculture courses, Gardens with Purpose and The Living Center, also said that demand for their courses is high.
Ms Joanne Ng, founder of Gardens with Purpose, said she was scheduled to have a big class just before the circuit breaker, but had to suspend it because of measures restricting meetings.
He is now considering selling the vegetables he grows on his 2,000-square-foot farm, as he has been receiving more inquiries from consumers.
Microgreens that can be grown at home. (Photo: National Parks Board)
The National Park Board (NParks) said that as interest in gardening increases, more people grow their own microgreens, herbs and other groceries at home.
“Given the amount of time we spend at home, it is a good opportunity for more people to learn to garden at home,” said Mr. Ng Cheow Kheng, director of the agency’s Horticulture and Community Gardening group.
GREENHORNS & BEAN SPROUTS
Mister Jack Yam holding a pot of kailan on his corridor farm. (Photo: Jayna Yam)
Rock climbing instructor and gardening enthusiast Jack Yam told CNA that substantially more people have asked to join the Facebook interest group he runs: Urban Farmers (Singapore).
Some have also been posting questions on how to start their own home gardens or farms, prompting you to post tutorials on the Facebook page for your reference.
“There were a lot of posts in the group, the new members actually say hey, I’m brand new. I have no idea how to get started. What are the things that are needed? He said.
One of them was engineer Ong Chee Lam, who said he has an interest in growing edibles but has not yet started a proper farm at home. She has started experimenting with bean sprouts and some herbs.
“The reason I wanted to start was because of how the COVID-19 situation unfolds, it made us realize that food security is a real problem, so we went to read and see how we can do something in the urban area of Singapore, “he said. .
Bean sprouts grown by Mr. Ong Chee Lam. (Photo: Ong Chee Lam)
His first run was 400 g of bean sprouts that added some crunch to his mee rebus, and it will continue, he said.
“I suspect that the new normal will not be the same … (I) will definitely continue to investigate and take steps to maintain this as a sustainable hobby,” he added.
FLOWERING FARMS
Meanwhile, some experienced growers CNA spoke to are growing more edibles rather than ornamentals.
Ms Mandisa Jacquelin Toh said her family was working to achieve self-sufficiency when it comes to vegetables and fruits.
“It is really a correct direction when we are hit by COVID-19 and the circuit breaker period … we don’t have to risk unnecessarily wetting the market and the supermarket,” he said.
The 40-year-old IT professional said she has set up a rotary system that allows her to harvest some produce every day from her rooftop garden, which she says is one-third the size of a soccer field.
A basket of vegetables harvested from Mrs Mandisa Jacquelin Toh’s rooftop farm. (Photo: Facebook / Mandisa Jacquelin Toh)
The list of edible plants he grows rivals a supermarket’s selection, which includes long beans, figs, blackberries, herbs, corn, tomatoes, chili, lime, okra, and bitter gourd. It even has melons, watermelons, guavas, custard apples, star fruit, kedongdong, mangoes, and cempedek.
“We regret that we did not start even earlier when COVID-19 started,” said the longtime gardener, who began seriously growing edible products about 10 months ago.
Yam, who grows his plants along the corridor and common spaces outside his Housing Board floor, also made the change months earlier and said he was glad he did. Now vegetables like xiao bai cai, kalian and kale make up 80 percent of their urban garden.
“Due to my space limitations, it is not fully sustainable, but it at least complements the food we are eating,” he said. “Seeing the sudden surge in interest, I’m actually pretty excited and happy about it.”
But he found that many people who wanted to start their home gardens or farms were “caught off guard” and once the circuit breaker started, they found it difficult to obtain supplies. That is why he also posted a tutorial on growing bean sprouts, and has seen some people post their attempts online.
“Green beans are easy to stop, and after three to four days you can get the harvest. As a parent, you can occupy your children with this particular activity, but at the same time grow something your family can eat, ”he said.
NParks has also posted a series of home gardening tutorials on social media, including DIY gardening videos, information on plants that can be easily grown at home, and simple recipes for home garden produce.
For starters, some simple plants are microgreens, Brazilian spinach, Indian borage, and herbs like mint and basil, Ng suggested.
GREEN THERAPY
Beyond livelihood, local farmers said caring for their plants has been good exercise and a source of joy in a time of anxiety for many.
The Helping Hand Auxiliary House started its urban farm this month, and vegetable care has replaced some of the carpentry and furniture-delivery activities residents did before the circuit interruption period.
An under-utilized lawn patch in the home now has 20 raised vegetable beds providing both food and therapy.
“It teaches our residents some very important skills and values, which helps us in some way as an emotional regulator. It teaches them patience and also introduces the green concept, ”CEO Mervyn Lim told CNA.
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For now, the vegetables will be cooked and consumed by residents, but they will seek to turn the farm into a social enterprise, and may even open a café, he added.
Resident Toh Chiang Hee, who is in his early 60s, told CNA that watching the plants grow has brought him great joy.
“I talk to the seedlings and tell them to get bigger and taller,” he said in Mandarin.
Vegetable beds in the country house The urban farm of The helping hand. (Photo: The helping hand)
FOOD SAFETY
These burgeoning outbreaks occur as Singapore aims to produce 30 percent of its food supply locally by 2030. In April, a new S $ 30 million donation to the agri-food industry was announced to help commercial farms accelerate production of commonly consumed food. like eggs, vegetables and fish.
And the surge in enthusiasm for home farming stems from a gradually increasing interest in recent years, said both Ms Ng of Gardens with Purpose and Ms Faith Foo of The Living Center.
READ: The COVID-19 pandemic highlights the importance of strengthening Singapore’s food security, experts say
“We have advocated for urban agriculture through a wide range of urban agriculture courses since the establishment of our center in the past five years, and therefore have also seen a progressive trend of people interested in urban agriculture,” he said. Ms. Foo, who moved all her courses online for the circuit breaker period.
Ms. Ng said she has noticed that more youth and families enroll in her organic agriculture courses before the COVID-19 outbreak and hopes that schools may be next. Before this, many Singaporeans still felt that it was easier to import vegetables from other countries, and the effort for “a few vegetables” was not worth it, he added.
“Toxic chemicals are everywhere, whether it’s food or the environment, so I started preparing this 10 years ago … now is the right time, the people of Singapore did not expect the food supply chain to interrupt, “he said. “I didn’t see COVID-19 coming but I knew there would be a demand for clean food.”
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