Mr Leonard Teo developed a love for greens as a boy, but often found locally bought vegetables harsh on his palate.
"They had a bitter taste, and my mother ended up buying expensive organic vegetables for me," said the owner of Straits Agriculture, a five-year-old aeroponics and hydroponics farm in Jurong that produces xiao bai cai, nai bai, curly kale and mizuna, among others. I thought, why not try to grow fresh and sweet-tasting vegetables so that I can eat them and Singaporeans can also purchase them at an affordable price?"
The Nanyang Technological University graduate's dream took off in 2020 when he rented a 35 sq m plot of land for about $20,000 in Henderson to start his venture. After stabilising his operations, he later invested in a rooftop farm in Jurong that cost him $250,000 to set up in January 2022.
While the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) does not track the number of first-time farmers in the country, Mr Teo, 25, is one of the three young farmers who ventured into the agricultural sector during Covid-19.
Read more at The Straits Times