PRE-CONFERENCE TOUR
The RASC Next Generation Singapore 2016 Pre-Conference Tour delegates arrived in Pan Pacific Marina Hotel on 25th October, 2016 and the tour started with a day long visit to Malaysia to see one of then largest Palm Plantation Oill producer. The group sets off around 7 o’clock in the morning and reached the immigration boarder of Singapore before proceeding to Malaysian boarder, After clearance of everyone we reached the town of Johor Baruh before arriving at the Sedenak Palm Oil Mill the group stopped at one of the Palm Oil field PO1/5:DXP-EPA which is 56.59 hectares. Whilst at the field the Plantation Manager explained how harvesting is done and Thomas Martin cleared then thick leaves of Palm tree before Joseph Before managed to harvest a bunch of fruits.
FACTORY:
At the factory NG members were briefed on the safely precaution measure’s to be followed in the factory and after the briefing NGs had a chance to tour the factory starting from where the fruit bunches of Palm are off loaded from the track’s after passing the weigh bridge till to the point the final product is produced that’s crude oil and seed Oil. For every one tonne they harvest the target 20% crude oil. The products that are made from Palm Oil are palm diseil, soap,pharmavetical and cosmetics. The factory also produces biomass boiler for electricity,biogas for production of methane and bio compost which is used for nourishing the soils hence maintaining soil nutrients.b
On day two the NGs visited Singapore City Gallery where the groups briefed on how Singapore country started, development that have been taking place since 1940s to date. Singapore was the 14 state of Malaysia until the 1965 when it go independence. It had 100 farmers who was doing fishing. The British came and developed it into a trading port. So Singapore has gone different stages of development.
The following are the stages:
Pre 1950-the country shifted to the harbour. During the post period is the period things were picking up in South governance. While in 1965 the Singapore became independent from British colonial.
Housing the Nation stage: At this stage different developments took place and the Nation started taking shape. In 1970s reclamation of land was the major activity took place. They used soil from hills until it is flat. Singapore airport and railway stations were developed in the 1980s.
In 1990s , Singapore started preservation of work’s houses shop’s that was built by the British colonial. Piped water, rail way line was developed.
SYNGENTA VISIT:
Singapore syngenta it’s mission is passionate about people and comprehensive capacity. They want to meet the demand for food through development of new varieties, chemicals that can control pests and weeds. They are also committed to produce more food than more wasted, to bring winning innovation into the hands of growers and to bring most productive innovation into the industry. It has a laboratory which has been divided into three compartments namely: formulation where different chemical formulas of various chemicals are formulated, genotying where gene are transferred but also identify diseases and seed treatment to improve germination percentage and against diseases.
ASIAN PACIFIC BREWERY (TIGER BEER):
The Asian Pacific Brewery is an old brewery in Singapore which was established in the year 1932. The company produces a variety of beer including the famous Tiger and Heineken beers. The company uses wheat for producing the beer. So the group were taken through the whole process of producing the beer from malt washing, pressing,wort, fermentation,bottling or canning finishing.
Below are some of beer:
Tiger, Heineken.
MARINE AQUACULTURE CENTRE:
This is the aquaculture centre which was established by the Singapore government with a mission to ensure resilient supply of safe food. The centre’s mainly focus on food fish production in Singapore. The fish species by kept at the ate Red snapper, Golden travel and Pompano. Whilst at the Marine aquaculture centre we visited different departments like:
Micro Algae Production
This section is responsible for culturing Algae that is used as feed for the fish. The culture is kept at 18 degrees Celsius. Rotifers are the zooplankton that exist in fresh water and marine environment. Feed is added to rotifers in order for it to continue growing.
Incubation Unit
At this section early larval development of Asian seabass. The eggs of are incubated till they hatch and complete it’s metamorphosis.
FISH FARMS:
This is a fish farm which has a total area of one hectare on the sea. Malcom has 3 farms and the one which we visited was the largest. While at this place I participated in fish catching.
Joseph catching fish.
SINGAPORE BOTANICAL GARDENS:
29/10/2016
The Singapore botanical gardens has a total land size of 60 hectares. The gardens has a variety of flowers and exciting places.
COMCROP:
This is a company that is growing crops in rooftop. The aim of the comcrop is to support food resilience with high technology rooftop farming. Crops are grown in hydroponics and they grow things that are sustainable. Their ambitions is to grow crops up to 30 hectares and it is aiming at growing rice at 80 hectares. The company faces challenges my that it does not receiving funding or subsidy from government. The major problem the company faces is diseases of crops as they don’t use chemicals.
GROUND UP INITIATIVE:
On 30th October the NGs visited Ground Up Initiative which is to the North of Singapore. It was established in 2008. The ground up initiative grows different vegetables and works with recycling things. Kids are empowered to make their own at the Kampung workshop space. The area is 26,000 square metres. The Kampung is also doing permaculture as one way of improving soil fertility.
KRANJI WAR CEMETARY:
The NGs had time to visit the Kranji War Cemetary to pay respect to soldiers who died in the World War II from 1935 to 1945.
SINGAPORE FARM FESTIVAL:
The festival was organized to make awareness to people to know farm products. It was also part of educating the kids where food they eat come from.
SINGAPORE FARM:
The Singapore farm was established in 1998 and it grows differ crops e.g mushroom,wheat grass and cactus as well as peas. The crops stays in the farm for seven days after germination and it is harvested. Harvesting is done using nife and the remainder goes for compost making. Mushroom is grown at a temperature of 28 degrees Celsius and kept at a humidity of 98%. When selling a small tray of wheat grass they sell at 8 Singapore dollar.
JURONG FROG FARM:
The farm started in 1996. The started with the aim of changing of natural resources into primary products. Some of the products being produced from frogs are: deboned frog meat, frog mosquito repellant, frog oil. These products are distributed to supermarkets.
LESSONS LEARNT FROM THE PRE-CONFERENCE TOUR-
-Utilization of every part of the crop being produced without wastage e.g. palm oil plantation they are able to produce bio energy, bio compost.
-Profit maximisation in products we produce from our farms.
-Quality adherence to meeting production standards.
-Good maintenance of producer consumer relationship in meeting the specific standards.
Many thanks to Northlands Park Agriculture Show Society of Canada for the scholarship and RASC for making sure that I have attended the Pre-Conference Tour. The tour was fantastic and it was an eye opener to me to appreciate what other farmers and companies in the industry of Agriculture are doing. I promise to implement what I have learnt from the tour. The tour has also widen my personal network of Next Generation as I have ably connect to many NGs.