Building a Sustainable Business through Urban Farming in Singapore

By Jiemin Goh, Delta Singapore

Urban farming technologies are crucial for Singapore's agriculture business due to a scarcity of land. Indoor, vertical, and smart container farming are examples of ways made feasible by technology and data.

Local farmers are turning to technology to increase food yield and food security. Farmers can now precisely manage their output owing to fully automated farming that takes place indoors and under-regulated lighting and wind conditions all year. They are able to meet market demands precisely by deciding what kind of vegetables they want to grow, how many vegetables they want to produce, and even the size of each harvest by utilizing only a small amount of land.

Delta Singapore organized an Agritech workshop in December 2021 for new startups and existing farmers to educate them about incorporating digitalization into their farming operations. The event took place in Punggol Digital Zone (PDD), one of Singapore’s first smart nation initiatives. The event reflected PDD's key ideals of cooperation, innovation, and the creation of a thriving economic zone.

Cecilia Ku, Mr. Ching-Yeh Shih, CEO and Founder of Liteleaf Pte. Ltd., and Dr. Andrew Keong Ng, Associate Professor from Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), were the session's guest speakers.

Mr. Shih shared his experiences and challenges in setting up a farm in Singapore, as well as how technology has helped overcome difficulties in the business. He advised the audience to start small, by developing a prototype and demonstrating commercial viability before making large-scale investments.

Dr. Andrew discussed the aquaponics system's consistency monitoring and management. Making this system remotely accessible and gaining access to the system's circumstances through technology. The system enables real-time monitoring, controls, and automation, as well as the analysis of system facilities, the prediction of vegetable and fish development, and the provision of timely notifications and user-friendly insight information for decision-making. SIT students contribute to the development of Internet of Things (IoT) solutions that aid farmers in increasing their yield.

While Cecilia spoke about how Delta has utilized technology to scale up the business model and what farmers can do to be viable in the long run. The technology could assist in lowering costs and increasing production. Delta specializes in technology, so we can help businesses in designing solutions that are appropriate for them.

As a result, they can get a quicker return on investment and farmers in Singapore will profit the most from digitalization due to the country's booming agriculture sector, space constraints, and relatively high vendor costs.

Delta Singapore is delighted to host this event, which allowed farmers to exchange their ideas and knowledge, as participants discussed a variety of new ideas, such as farm automation and early disease detection. We hope that the Agritech session offered participants the courage to begin their urban farming adventure by exploring the benefits of technology.

About the Author (Guest Contributor)

Jiemin Goh

In my leisure time, I enjoy watching movies, dramas and going shopping. Delta provides me with additional possibilities to develop new skills and broaden my knowledge.  I’m glad that Delta has given me such opportunities.

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