Singapore

Public Sector Advisory Services

Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore, AVA

AVA Technical Services and Research
Horticulture Services Centre

"The Horticulture Services Centre (HSC) of Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) promote the development of the horticulture industry in Singapore. It provides technical advice and support, consultancy and trade facilitation services to those involved in the production and trade of vegetables, foodcrops, orchid, ornamental plants and aquatic plants in Singapore and in the region.

The HSC conducts R&D and provides advisory services to develop farming systems, protocols on good agricultural practices (including protected cultivation and integrated pest management systems) and post-harvest management operations. It develops methods for soil improvement in vegetable farms to ensure sustainable soil fertility. It conducts studies to help farmers solve pest and disease problems with an emphasis towards safer methods. It evaluates new varieties of orchids and leafy vegetables and introduces them to the local farmers and markets.

Transfer of technical know-how on vegetable production and horticulture technology through publications, training and consultancy to local growers, as well as horticulture-related industries in the region under bilateral agreements which is always through the government G-to-G overseas projects, to develop overseas food production projects"

Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) Certification
"AVA encourages local vegetable farms to adopt the code of Good Agricultural Practice as a food safety assurance system in vegetable production and be a member of AVA’s Good Agricultural Practice for Vegetable Farming (GAP-VF) Certification Scheme."

AVA Animal and Plant Health Centre
"The Animal and Plant Health Centre (APHC) ... carries out laboratory diagnostic support for national surveillance and monitoring programmes to prevent the establishment of important animal and plant diseases in Singapore. The Centre also provides animal and plant health diagnostic services ..."

Aquaculture Services Centre, ASC
ASC "... plays a pivotal role in facilitating the foodfish and ornamental fish industry and trade in Singapore and in the region. ... The Centre provides technical advice and support to farmers, exporters and investors involved in the foodfish aquaculture and ornamental fish industry. The Centre also promotes and encourages the use of modern technology for the production of high quality foodfish for local consumption, and in the production and export of quality ornamental fish.

Marine Aquaculture Centre, MAC

MAC "... was set up to develop and harness technology to facilitate the development and expansion of large-scale hatchery and fish farming production in Singapore and the region.

MAC undertakes research and development in tropical marine aquaculture. Its programmes focus on fish reproduction, large-scale hatchery and fish farming technology development. To support these activities, MAC also addresses other related areas such as fish nutrition and feeding, fish health, the establishment of good aquaculture practices, monitoring of the fish farming environment and seawater re-use. Future breeding programmes will be on selective breeding so that fish are of better quality, in terms of faster growth or disease resistant.
MAC's outputs will facilitate marine aquaculture development and expansion in Singapore and the region. Cultured fry are in short supply and this is one of the bottlenecks to this development. MAC's pioneering work is therefore aimed at promoting a long-term sustainable supply of a wide variety of tropical food fish at affordable prices for consumers in Singapore.

MAC's efforts are also aimed at promoting large-scale deep netcage fish farming of tropical food fish species."(more emphasis on research than advisory services)

Agrotechnology Parks

"Agrotechnology Parks are modern agriculture estates developed with the necessary infrastructure for farming. There are Six Agrotechnology Parksin Singapore. They are located at Lim Chu Kang, Murai, Sungei Tengah, Nee Soon, Mandai and Loyang.

These parks occupy a total land area of 1,465 ha and nearly 700 ha have been allocated to over 200 farms for the production of livestock, eggs, milk, aquarium and food fish, vegetables, fruits, orchids, ornamental and aquatic plants, as well as for the breeding of birds and dogs. The modern farms in the Agrotechnology Parks develop, adapt and showcase advanced technologies and techniques for intensive farming systems, and for export of high value and quality products and services to other tropical countries in the region."

Agri-Bio Park

"To develop Singapore as a centre of excellence in tropical agrotechnology services, AVA has developed an agri-biotechnology cluster in the 10-ha Agri-Bio Park (ABP) sited next to the Lim Chu Kang Agrotechnology Park in the northwest of Singapore. Land in lots of one hectare have been allocated on 30-year leases for agri-biotechnology activities, including research and development in fish vaccines, food safety and animal and plant health testing, and post-harvest technology activities. AVA's Veterinary Public Health Centre and Animal & Plant Health Centre, and the Marine Fisheries Research Department of the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Centre, hosted by Singapore, are also located within the ABP. Map."

Source: www.ava.gov.sg (various subpages), retrieved Aug 2, 2011

List of Extension Providers

The following list shows an excerpt from the GFRAS Directory of Extension Providers for Singapore. Some of these entries may be specially marked for having more detailed information in the database of the Worldwide Extension Study WWES.