The annual vegetable production of commercial rooftop farms has reached over 200 metric tons

ComCrop, which is located on the top floor of an industrial plant at Woodlands Ring Road, is one of seven businesses that have received the "30x30 Express" subsidy from the Singapore Food Agency. The farm, which originally had a greenhouse area of only 800 square meters, used subsidies to expand a hybrid greenhouse of 2,000 square meters. The opening ceremony was held on the morning of Sunday (October 9).

LED lights automatically start on cloudy days to ensure eight hours of light

Peter Barber, president of Maofeng Farm, said in an interview that when it is rainy or cloudy and there is insufficient sunlight, the weather monitoring system in the farm will automatically activate the LED lighting to ensure that the vegetables have at least eight hours of light every day. In this way, the vegetables will grow at a consistent rate and can be harvested on schedule. Since LED lighting is not turned on 24/7, the cost is lower than that of indoor vertical farms.

Combining daylight and LED lighting is both environmentally and economically sustainable, Barber said. The use of solar energy on the farm can reduce the electricity consumption of the grid; the use of automated conveyor belt systems can also reduce manpower.

According to his estimates, the annual vegetable production can surge from 20 metric tons to more than 200 metric tons, which can supply more than 65,000 packets of vegetables for the local market every month. "What used to take a year to produce can now be done in a month."

In April 2020, the government set up a "30x30 Express" working group to distribute nearly 40 million yuan in subsidies to assist the industry in increasing the production of eggs, edible fish and leafy vegetables. This is to realize the "30.30 Vision" by 2030, that is, to produce enough agricultural products to meet the nutritional needs of 30% of Singaporeans and reduce dependence on imported agricultural products.