Singrow, the Singapore company that has developed “climate-resilient strawberries” designed to be grown in tropical climates, has announced its intentions to collaborate on agricultural projects in Malaysia and Thailand. The planned farmlands in these countries will be substantial, with some spanning an area of 56 sq km. This will enable Singrow to significantly boost its strawberry production volume, increasing it by at least 100 times. Through franchise agreements, a portion of the strawberries will be exclusively shipped to Singapore, ensuring a year-round supply of strawberries for the nation.
Singrow has stated that its current fruit offers a similar price, quality, and size to strawberries imported from Japan or South Korea, which typically sell for $25 to $50 per pack containing nine to twelve premium strawberries. With its expansion initiatives underway, the company aims to eventually reduce the price of strawberries to approximately $12 to $15 per pack. Furthermore, Singrow has highlighted its capability to cultivate strawberries without the use of pesticides or fertilizers.
Singrow’s technology handles every step of the growth process, from seed breeding to harvesting, and is 40% more energy-efficient than other indoor farms. The company has opened its new R&D hub, where it will be able to apply its agri-genomics technology, which leverages genome sequencing and annotation, and gene adaptation and application — to other crops. In addition to helping farmers produce more climate-resilient crops, it is tackling the challenges of growing food in an age of limited resources. This is especially true in Singapore, where just 1% of the city-state’s land mass is available for farming.
(Sources: AgfunderNews; The Straits Times)
