Food & Wellness / Flavours / From farm to FairPrice in 24 hours: Why hydroponic vegetables can be tastier, healthier and safer for you

By Sasha Gonzales

The next time you’re at a FairPrice store, look out for ‘SG Fresh Produce’ badges on the vegetable shelves or in the chillers. These show that the produce has been locally grown, which also means that these greens are super fresh as they go from farm to supermarket in under 24 hours! And since locally farmed vegetables take less time (and fuel) to travel to stores here, they also have a smaller carbon footprint.

But as ideal as consuming locally grown produce sounds, in land-scarce Singapore, growing enough food to feed the entire population isn’t always feasible. Currently, only about 10% of the nation-state’s food is produced locally, according to the Singapore Food Agency.

This is where hydroponics comes in, a space-saving technique that grows vegetables in nutrient-rich water rather than in soil, eliminating soil-borne bacteria and diseases. The bonus: hydroponic farming takes place in stacked layers and uses far less space as well as water than traditional farms — all very good news for Singapore, really!

Hydroponic farming also uses controlled environments to maintain optimal temperature, airflow, light and humidity so crops can thrive in any season.

Take the case of Green Harvest, a local hydroponic farm that claims to house Southeast Asia’s largest semi-closed glass greenhouse. Across 150,000 square feet of land in Lim Chu Kang, it grows a wide variety of Asian and Western vegetables, including mesclun salad, pea shoots and spinach. Yet, it is said to save 90% more water compared to traditional farming as it harnesses an automated hydroponic system using a mobile gulley system.

The farm also boasts automatic roof vents and shading curtains, as well as more than 80 fans and cooling pads to regulate the temperature and environment, and keep pests away. As a result of this, pesticides aren’t used so the vegetables are safer to consume.

But while hydroponic farming sounds high-tech and futuristic, it’s actually been around in Singapore as early as 1970 when the Primary Production Department, now the Singapore Food Agency and Animal & Veterinary Service, developed a hydroponic farming technique and introduced it to local farmers. By 1979, about one-fifth of the vegetables consumed in Singapore were grown locally via hydroponic farming.

Here are five other things you probably didn’t know about hydroponic farming in Singapore:

Cleaner and healthier: Grown without soil, hydroponic vegetables are free from soil-borne contaminants and are often pesticide-free. For instance, Green Harvest uses peat blocks, ensuring that nutrients are fully absorbed by crops rather than ‘lost’ in the ground. A special automated system replenishes nutrients in the peat blocks as soon as depletion is detected. In this way, quality greens are grown consistently.
More nutrients: With a customised nutrient mix and grown under controlled conditions, hydroponic vegetables are considered more nutritious than their soil-grown counterparts. Green Harvest enhances its crops with sea kelp — a type of large, nutrient-rich brown algae that is often used in hydroponics. Known as the ocean’s superfood, sea kelp is packed with vitamin A, which is beneficial for eye health and the immune system, and vitamin K, which supports bone health. It also provides vitamin B12 and essential minerals like iron, calcium and magnesium.
Tastes just as good, if not better: Thanks to the precise way hydroponic crops receive customised nutrients, there’s more quality control, which can result in crisper leaves and a sweeter taste.
Hydroponic farming in Singapore began as a military experiment: Hydroponic crops didn’t start out as a commercial product here. In the 1970s, an experimental farm at the Singapore Armed Forces Kranji Camp was tended by “soldier farmers”, producing up to 300 kilograms of veggies like chye sim and kai lan each month. These were then distributed to other army camps for soldiers’ meals.
Surprising locations: Today, commercial hydroponic farms can be found in unexpected places, from rooftops to parks and even beneath viaducts.