NERI was honoured to host the visit by Mr. Chan Hian Lim, Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) (Corporate, Industry, and Technology) and delegates from Singapore Food Agency (SFA) on 13 July 2021.

Mr. Chan and delegates from SFA had an engaging session with Professor Ng How Yong, Director and Associate Professor Sanjay Swarup, Deputy Director, NERI during the visit. Associate Professor Sanjay, who is also the Principal Investigator for Novel Integrated Agrotechnologies, Plant Nutrients and Microbials for Improved Production of Green Leafy Vegetables in Singapore, a National Research Foundation Competitive Research Programme (NRF CRP) hosted at NERI shared the integrated approach to address the key challenges associated with crop production in terms of high water, chemical and energy inputs.

The Programme which was initiated in November 2016 is geared towards developing resource-efficient technologies for Singapore’s local urban farming systems. The technologies developed from the programme would help to build circularity and sustainability for our nation’s future food security. The research has developed eco-friendly and cost-effective solutions for value-added urban vegetable production by converting local waste streams to novel agri-inputs, reducing fertiliser, nutrient costs by utilising beneficial microbiomes and utilising energy efficient models for controlling and predicting best harvest outcomes. In addition, the in-house developed energy efficient indoor vertical racks for crop production along with agrotechnologies coupled with sophisticated in-house developed data integration platforms for sustainable crop production were showcased during the visit. NERI also showcased its analytical laboratory facility that is equipped with the state-of-the art instrumentation used for food-related research.