Straits Times 10 Sep 10;
JILIN: Singapore yesterday took a big step forward in developing its first food zone in China by breaking ground on a new pig farm here.
The integrated pig farm, which aims to produce one million pigs annually, was an investment by Singapore Food Industries (SFI) and its joint venture partners. It spans more than 100,000 sq m and will cover all aspects of the pork supply chain, from feed milling to breeding and processing.
Minister for National Development Mah Bow Tan officiated at the ground-breaking ceremony here yesterday. At the ceremony, Mr Mah said the project 'signifies a new dimension of collaboration between Singapore and Jilin province', according to a Ministry of National Development release.
'This ground-breaking ceremony is particularly meaningful as we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Singapore this year,' he added.
The pig farm is part of the proposed Jilin-Singapore Agriculture and Food Zone, which aims to provide Singaporeans with a ready supply of healthy vegetables, fruit and meat for decades to come.
It should be completed in about nine months, said SFI yesterday in a joint statement with its partners - a Jilin-Singapore joint venture company and Taiwan's DaChan Food (Asia). They aim to create China's first foot-and-mouth disease-free pig farm, certified by the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture and the World Organisation for Animal Health.
