sustainable agriculture · farming in a urban city. farms of the future •may not have to be in...
TRANSCRIPT
Special Seminar on Food Security, Focussing on Water Management
and Sustainable Agriculture 5-7 September 2013 Niigata, Japan
Sustainable Agriculture
-Highly productive, intensive farming - Reaching 200-250 tonnes/ha/year
-- - R&D on new production technologies, products & varieties
Special Seminar on Food Security, Focussing on Water Management
and Sustainable Agriculture 5-7 September 2013 Niigata, Japan
Sustainable Agriculture Best practices
AVA through R&D and extension introduced the concept and principles of Good Agriculture Practices for Vegetable-Farms (GAP-VF)
The scheme is a set of Code of Practice / guidelines for vegetable farms to adopt for the production of vegetables
Safety assurance system at source (producer) to sustain production of safe and quality vegetables for consumption in Singapore
Launched in Feb 2004 Areas of GAP
Protected cultivation Integrated Pest Management Soil & nutrient management Postharvest handling practices
Special Seminar on Food Security, Focussing on Water Management
and Sustainable Agriculture 5-7 September 2013 Niigata, Japan High salinity / phosphorous soils – intensive and little crop
rotation
Leaching, discharge and pollution control –proximity to water source
Pest and disease management – less synthetic pesticides and more beneficial insects
Technology for automation and productivity
Issues Farming in the Urban City
Special Seminar on Food Security, Focussing on Water Management
and Sustainable Agriculture 5-7 September 2013 Niigata, Japan
Government projected population to increase to 7 million Competing land use for amenities, housing, financial
centres, industries and infrastructure Land available for farming is small High land and manpower costs Competition from other producers as Singapore is a free
market
Challenges Farming in a Urban City
Special Seminar on Food Security, Focussing on Water Management
and Sustainable Agriculture 5-7 September 2013 Niigata, Japan
Farming Vertically •Technology is “new” •First commercial vertical farm in the world -Launched in 2012 •9 metres tall structures •Productivity 5 times higher •Addressing challenges and constraints to farming vertically
Challenges Farming in a Urban City
Farming Vertically •Technology is “new” •First commercial vertical farm in the world -Launched in 2012 •9 metres tall structures •Productivity 5 times higher •Addressing challenges and constraints to farming vertically
Special Seminar on Food Security, Focussing on Water Management
and Sustainable Agriculture 5-7 September 2013 Niigata, Japan
Challenges Farming in a Urban City
Farms of the future •May not have to be in arable land •Indoor farming in warehouse, factory space, restaurants •New technologies needed on modified atmosphere, enhance lightings, compatible production system for clean room, cropping cycles etc
Special Seminar on Food Security, Focussing on Water Management
and Sustainable Agriculture 5-7 September 2013 Niigata, Japan
Active research to find technology solutions to increase productivity many folds and intensification
Advance greenhouse and production systems for cost reduction and automation
Facilitate R&D drive to develop new high yielding plant varieties and products.
Sustainable Agriculture - sensitivity towards environment and pollution to water source
Economic viability – vertically integrated
Government and farming industry must work together
Summary
Special Seminar on Food Security, Focussing on Water Management
and Sustainable Agriculture 5-7 September 2013 Niigata, Japan
• Expert Despatch, Consultancy and Linkages to
Technological solutions to higher productivity in leafy vegetable production
– Supplementary lightings
– Sustainable vertical technologies, indoor farming
– Automation and mechanization of farming processes viz harvester, transplanter etc
• Capacity Building
Expectation for strengthening capacity building
Special Seminar on Food Security, Focussing on Water Management
and Sustainable Agriculture 5-7 September 2013 Niigata, Japan
Thank You