Food importers may be required to help tackle supply disruptions

Move among steps to beef up food security; new agency to boost safety for consumers
Tiffany Fumiko Tay Straits Times 16 Jan 19;

Importers of key food items may be required to come up with preventive strategies and other plans to mitigate the impact of supply disruptions to Singapore, which imports more than 90 per cent of its food and is vulnerable to factors affecting global supply, such as disease outbreaks and climate change.

This and other measures to beef up Singapore's food security were included in two Bills tabled in Parliament yesterday to dissolve the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) and split its functions between the National Parks Board (NParks) and a new statutory board to oversee food safety and security.

The AVA will cease in April and its plant-and animal-related functions, including animal welfare, will be transferred to NParks.

The Singapore Food Agency will be formed on April 1 and take over the food-related functions of the AVA, the National Environment Agency and the Health Sciences Authority. The new agency, to come under the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, is aimed at boosting food safety standards for consumers and strengthening local food businesses.

Four agencies and some 1,150 staff are involved in the reorganisation, which was first announced in July last year. The Bills to effect the process were introduced in Parliament yesterday by Senior Minister of State for the Environment and Water Resources Amy Khor and Senior Parliamentary Secretary for National Development Sun Xueling.

Under the changes, NParks will become the lead agency for animal and wildlife management. Its new roles will include regulating veterinary establishments and practitioners as well as the trade in endangered species of animals and plants.

The Ministry of National Development said in response to queries that the operational details for the new import requirements, including the food items that will come under them, are being worked out and importers will be engaged in due course.

Singapore imports food from about 180 countries as part of its diversification strategy and also aims to raise local food production, said a spokesman.

Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing said on Monday that the local retail price of eggs increased by about 4 per cent between June and November last year, in part because of significant price increases from some of Singapore's import sources.

>90%
Singapore imports this proportion of its food.

About 73 per cent of eggs consumed in Singapore are imported, with Malaysian farms forming a key source of supplies.

Malaysia said last month that it was looking into limiting or stopping the export of eggs to ensure a sufficient supply for the domestic market.

Mr Elson Tan, manager of egg importer Lam Leng Trading, said importers have been growing the diversity of their sources over the years, with the AVA organising overseas food-sourcing trips and helping to match importers with suppliers in Thailand, for example.

Mr Tan, who assists his father in chairing the Eggs Import/Export Trading Association, said: "Malaysia still makes up the majority, but we are not too reliant on one source. There are other countries like Australia and New Zealand."


New laws proposed to ensure Singapore's food security
Ian Cheng Channel NewsAsia 16 Jan 19;

SINGAPORE: A new agency set up to oversee food safety and security may be able to require importers of key food items to have plans to mitigate the impact of food supply disruptions.

This requirement, and other legislative amendments to enhance Singapore's food security, were included in two Bills tabled in Parliament on Tuesday (Jan 15).

The Bills to establish the Singapore Food Agency (SFA), dissolve the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) and to transfer some of AVA's functions to the National Parks Board were introduced by Senior Minister of State for the Environment and Water Resources Amy Khor and Senior Parliamentary Secretary for National Development Sun Xueling.

"We are introducing requirements for importers of key food items to adopt plans, including preventive strategies, to mitigate the impact of supply disruptions," said a Ministry of National Development (MND) spokesman.

"This will further enhance our food security and resilience, given the changing global food landscape and climate change."

MND added that the operational details for the new requirements are being worked out, and it will engage importers on the changes "in due course".

NEW FOOD AGENCY

SFA, a new statutory board under the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, will be set up on Apr 1.

It will take over food-related responsibilities from AVA, the Health Sciences Authority and the National Environment Agency, including those related to food safety, hygiene regulations and food supply.

MND added that Singapore imports food from over 180 countries and a disruption in supply will not heavily affect the overall food supply.

"In the event of a sudden and sharp food disruption, there are plans to ensure that food remains available for Singaporeans," the ministry said.

"These plans have been worked out closely with the industry, to ensure the promptness of sourcing, logistics arrangements, and distribution."

Source: CNA/ic(hm)