Buy more local produce, it's fresher: AVA

Huang Lijie Straits Times 22 Jun 11;

CONSUMERS are being urged to buy more local produce by the food safety watchdog.

The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) said farms in Singapore have to meet its stringent quality and production rules.

And their food is fresher because it does not take as long to get the produce to customers.

Buying more of their produce will spur them on to increase production and ensure the country has a buffer against any potential shortages of imported food items such as eggs, fish and vegetables.

Yesterday, the AVA said it was tightening the guidelines for its quality assurance scheme for locally farmed eggs in a bid to boost consumer confidence.

Egg farms under the Singapore Quality Egg Scheme now have to implement a system that will allow them to trace and recall produce quickly.

This involves stamping the farm's code and the production date on eggs.

The farms also have to put in place a system that will enable them to immediately recall and remove eggs from retail outlets when necessary.

At the launch of the revised scheme yesterday, AVA chief executive officer Tan Poh Hong said: 'If consumers were to get an egg with a code on it, they get the confidence that the farm is prepared to vouch for its quality and freshness.'

Farms under the scheme are also subject to rigorous checks by the AVA, such as monthly inspections on egg quality and freshness.

Those which fulfil the requirements of the revised scheme can label their products with the scheme's new logo.

All three egg farms here - Chew's Agriculture, Seng Choon Farm and N & N Agriculture - are in the revised scheme.

Last year, 93,600 tonnes of eggs were consumed in Singapore. More than 70 per cent were imported from countries such as Malaysia, New Zealand, the United States and Japan.

Seng Choon Farm's managing director Koh Yeow Koon, 35, said it has increased egg production from 300,000 eggs to 400,000 a day since moving into a larger farm in 2009.

He added: 'We can still expand our production but it will depend on whether Singaporeans support us and buy local eggs.'

Price-conscious consumers may pass on local eggs because they are at least 30 per cent more expensive than eggs from countries such as Malaysia. These local eggs, however, boast benefits such as lower cholesterol or added vitamins.

Housewife Chua Lee Kor, 66, said: 'I could never tell the difference between local and Malaysian eggs and I would buy whichever was cheaper.

'But the new logo for local eggs helps me spot them easily and I would like to try them soon to see if they live up to their claim.'

The AVA aims to raise local egg production from the current 23 per cent of Singapore's total egg supply to 30 per cent in a few years.

It has already been working to raise local fish production from 4 per cent to 15 per cent of the total fish supply and local leafy vegetable production from 7 per cent to 10 per cent of the total supply, by helping local fish and vegetable farms increase production capacity.

Singaporeans urged to buy local produce
Mustafa Shafawi / Alvina Soh Channel NewsAsia 21 Jun 11;

SINGAPORE: The Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) has urged consumers to complement the government's efforts and support the local farming industry by buying local produce.

AVA's CEO Tan Poh Hong said support from consumers for local produce, such as eggs, will help spur local farms to increase their production to meet bigger demand. This she said will in turn ensure the sustainability of local farms.

AVA said 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.

Ms Tan said: "While we have been looking at the supply side, helping farmers to increase their productivity through technology and extension services and so, we feel that it is also important to get our consumers to support the local produce as well."

About 23 per cent of eggs consumed in Singapore are produced locally and AVA's aim is to increase that to 30 per cent. AVA said local production is an important secondary strategy in ensuring food supply resilience for Singapore.

To this end, the government will continue to promote local farming, with the aim to raise self-sufficiency levels for eggs, fish and leafy vegetables to 30 per cent, 15 per cent and 10 per cent respectively.

The quality of eggs produced by local chicken layer farms is assured under AVA's Singapore Quality Egg Scheme (SQES).

This voluntary quality assurance scheme was first introduced in 1999. All three local chicken layer farms are currently registered under this scheme.

Under SQES, local poultry layer farms are required to ensure that their facilities are hygienic and quality control monitoring systems are well maintained at all times.

The eggs produced undergo monthly inspection and freshness tests by AVA to verify their quality. The date of production and farm code are also stamped on every egg to ensure traceability.

AVA, which has recently revised the Singapore Quality Egg Scheme logo to increase its visibility and highlight the quality of local eggs, is urging customers to look out for the logo. And it seems to be working, with retail outlets here saying the revised logo has helped.

Mui-Kok Kah Wei, Purchasing and Merchandising Director with NTUC FairPrice, said: "Our local household consumers who shop in supermarkets have a very high acceptance for local eggs, and they value the quality and the safety assurance from AVA and they value the freshness as well, and probably they put a lot of premium on it being produced by local producers."

Currently about 45 per cent of eggs at NTUC FairPrice, are locally sourced, and the supermarket giant is hoping to increase this. However, FairPrice said it would still offer eggs from other sources to diversify and to ensure stability of supplies.

Ms Mui-Kok said: "We would always like to support our local producers and if consumers accept these eggs, and the local suppliers can cope with it, we certainly hope to increase the supply.

"But having said that, we are in line with our diversification strategies to ensure stability of supplies, we would still want to balance the sources of supply for eggs."

Suppliers here are also stepping up production, with the help of AVA's S$10 million Food Farm grant last year.

Local chicken farm Seng Choon Farm said it has increased egg production from 300,000 to 400,000 since the grant.

Koh Yeow Koon, MD of Seng Choon Farm, said: "For local eggs, because the production is in Singapore, so definitely its faster to get to the market, so in terms of freshness, its definitely a very fresh egg. With freshness and quality, I think it is a good choice for consumers to pick eggs from Singapore."

- CNA/cc/ac