To find a solution for the high production costs plaguing vertical farms in Singapore, a research initiative led by the National University of Singapore (NUS) is going back to the basics of plant science to create high-quality seeds. The Seed Innovation Hub hosted at NUS received a $22 million boost from the authorities on Nov 5 to advance crop breeding and develop superior seeds with traits such as faster growth, better taste and stronger nutritional value, specifically tailored for indoor environments.
This grant is part of an over $80 million funding push in local food research that the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) announced on Nov 4 and 5 at the Singapore International Agri-Food Week (SIAW). The other grants under the second phase of the Singapore Food Story R&D Programme are for aquaculture, alternative proteins and new ways to determine the safety of novel foods without animal testing.
The Seed Innovation Hub started around 2022, and the $22 million injection allows it to enter the second phase of research. "Most (farmers) have been getting seeds from the outside, and most of them are meant to be grown outside, not really indoors," said Associate Professor Chew Fook Tim, who is from the NUS department of biological sciences and leading the project.
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