SINGAPORE: Indonesia has been approved as a new source for the import of chilled, frozen and processed chicken, said the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) on Thursday (Jun 30).
This adds to the list of more than 20 countries accredited to export chicken to Singapore.
"Diversification has been a cornerstone of Singapore’s food security strategy. The Government has been undertaking long-term planning and proactively taking action to safeguard Singapore’s food supply," said SFA in a Facebook post.
It added that having a new import source will better safeguard the country against global supply uncertainties.
Singapore recently faced some disruptions to its supply of chilled chicken after Malaysia imposed an export ban on Jun 1. About one-third of Singapore's chicken supply is from Malaysia.
SFA said a Singapore team recently visited Indonesia to audit its food safety and animal health controls.
The team visited various facilities such as farms, quarantine stations and laboratories to better understand the regulatory systems in place.
"Chickens can only be imported from sources accredited by SFA to ensure that sources have the required systems, processes and capabilities to supply chicken that can meet our food safety and animal health standards to Singapore," said the agency.
It added that individual establishments and farms would also need to be evaluated and approved, with detailed documentary evaluations and on-site audits for verification.
"The consignments would also be subjected to SFA’s inspection, sampling and testing upon import. This ensures the continuity of SFA’s source diversification strategy without compromising food safety," said the agency.
In a Facebook post on Thursday, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Minister Grace Fu noted that global supplies will continue to face uncertainties and Singapore must be psychologically prepared for more disruptions and price volatility.
"While the Government undertakes long-term planning and proactive actions to safeguard Singapore’s food supply, consumers and the food industry also have an important part to play," she said.
"By being flexible with our food and ingredient choices, and switching to alternative products or sources when necessary, we can all help to increase Singapore’s resilience."
Indonesia, Southeast Asia's biggest and most populous country with more than 270 million people, has a surplus in chicken production. The country produces 55 million to 60 million birds per week, with a surplus of around 15 to 20 per cent after domestic consumption.
After Malaysia stopped exporting chicken from Jun 1 to prioritise local supply, Singapore moved to import more chilled and frozen chicken products from other countries such as Thailand, Australia, Brazil and the US.
Malaysia has since partially lifted its ban, allowing Singapore to resume importing live kampung and black chickens from Jun 14. However, a ban on exporting commercial broiler chicken - which makes up the majority of Singapore's chicken imports from Malaysia - remains.
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This adds to the list of more than 20 countries accredited to export chicken to Singapore.
"Diversification has been a cornerstone of Singapore’s food security strategy. The Government has been undertaking long-term planning and proactively taking action to safeguard Singapore’s food supply," said SFA in a Facebook post.
It added that having a new import source will better safeguard the country against global supply uncertainties.
Singapore recently faced some disruptions to its supply of chilled chicken after Malaysia imposed an export ban on Jun 1. About one-third of Singapore's chicken supply is from Malaysia.
SFA said a Singapore team recently visited Indonesia to audit its food safety and animal health controls.
The team visited various facilities such as farms, quarantine stations and laboratories to better understand the regulatory systems in place.
"Chickens can only be imported from sources accredited by SFA to ensure that sources have the required systems, processes and capabilities to supply chicken that can meet our food safety and animal health standards to Singapore," said the agency.
It added that individual establishments and farms would also need to be evaluated and approved, with detailed documentary evaluations and on-site audits for verification.
"The consignments would also be subjected to SFA’s inspection, sampling and testing upon import. This ensures the continuity of SFA’s source diversification strategy without compromising food safety," said the agency.
In a Facebook post on Thursday, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Minister Grace Fu noted that global supplies will continue to face uncertainties and Singapore must be psychologically prepared for more disruptions and price volatility.
"While the Government undertakes long-term planning and proactive actions to safeguard Singapore’s food supply, consumers and the food industry also have an important part to play," she said.
"By being flexible with our food and ingredient choices, and switching to alternative products or sources when necessary, we can all help to increase Singapore’s resilience."
Related:
Indonesia, Southeast Asia's biggest and most populous country with more than 270 million people, has a surplus in chicken production. The country produces 55 million to 60 million birds per week, with a surplus of around 15 to 20 per cent after domestic consumption.
After Malaysia stopped exporting chicken from Jun 1 to prioritise local supply, Singapore moved to import more chilled and frozen chicken products from other countries such as Thailand, Australia, Brazil and the US.
Malaysia has since partially lifted its ban, allowing Singapore to resume importing live kampung and black chickens from Jun 14. However, a ban on exporting commercial broiler chicken - which makes up the majority of Singapore's chicken imports from Malaysia - remains.
Continue reading...