Buy local produce: AVA

The Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority is urging consumers to support the local farming industry to raise self-sufficiency levels.

An AVA report said, “Local production is an important secondary strategy in ensuring food supply resilience for Singapore. It complements our key strategy of source diversification ensures a degree of self-sufficiency for key food items such as eggs, fish and leafy vegetables. Local production will also provide us with a buffer against supply disruptions.”

The Government aims to raise self-sufficiency levels for eggs, fish and leafy vegetables to 30%, 15% and 10% respectively (current self-sufficiency levels are 23% for eggs, 4% for fish and 7% for vegetables).

Ms Tan Poh Hong, AVA CEO, said, “Support from consumers to buy local produce, such as eggs, will help to spur our farms to up their production to meet the increased demand. This in turn will ensure the sustainability of local farms.”

The report added that consumers are assured of the quality and freshness of local produce, a result of the stringent production and quality control procedures local farms adhere to, as well as the short delivery time from farm to retail outlets.