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Sumitomo Chemical Launches Joint Urban Farming Project in Singapore
Nov. 24, 2015
Sumitomo Chemical has recently launched an urban farming research and development project jointly with the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA), holding an opening ceremony of the project's hydroponic facilities in Singapore on November 23.
Aiming to develop an optimized hydroponics farming system for leafy vegetables in an urban rooftop environment, based on Japanese agricultural technology, the project is undertaken jointly by AVA, which supports local urban farming to increase food supply resilience with limited land in Singapore, and Sumitomo Chemical, which is extensively developing agriculture-related business globally. Under the project, leafy vegetables will be brought into test cultivation in a greenhouse with the hydroponics technology using sunlight, seeking to achieve higher productivity and better quality of farm products
than those hitherto available from conventional farming or cultivation systems.
Sumitomo Chemical assumes overall responsibility for overseeing the entire project, and other participants from Japan in the project include Kaneko Seeds Co., which has superior technologies in such fields as seeds and hydroponics, and SanTerra Co., a Sumitomo Chemical's group company possessing specialized expertise in greenhouse. From Singapore, AVA and Ngee Ann Polytechnic, an institution of higher education, take part in the project. Singapore’s Ministry of National Development and the Singapore Economic Development Board also provide support for the project.
Sumitomo Chemical expects that the project will help establish by 2018 a basic model for promoting sustainable urban farming, making it a platform for the Company to expand the urban farming business in Asia and also in the rest of the world in the years ahead.
Outline of Hydroponic Facilities
| Location | The Sembawang Research Station of the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore |
|---|---|
| Site area | 233 square meters |
| Facilities | Greenhouses, hydroponic system (control equipment, four hydroponic beds) |
Roles of Project Participants
| Sumitomo Chemical | Overall management of the project |
|---|---|
| Sumitomo Chemical (Asia Pacific) | Project operation and test cultivation |
| Kaneko Seeds | Hydroponic system setup, cultivation technology support and supply of seeds |
| SanTerra | Supply and setup of greenhouse system |
| Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore | Test cultivation and provision of site |
| Ngee Ann Polytechnic | Technical consultation for test cultivation |
Profile of Companies and Organizations
Sumitomo Chemical
| Head office | Tokyo |
|---|---|
| President | Masakazu Tokura |
| Business | Petrochemicals & Plastics, Energy & Functional Materials, IT-related Chemicals, Health & Crop Sciences, Pharmaceuticals, and Others |
Sumitomo Chemical (Asia Pacific)
| Head office | Singapore |
|---|---|
| President | Naohiro Takahashi |
| Business | Regional headquarters for the Southeast Asia, India, and Oceania region |
Kaneko Seeds
| Head office | Maebashi City, Gunma Prefecture, Japan |
|---|---|
| President | Masahiko Kaneko |
| Business | Seeds and seedlings, garden supplies, landscaping, greenhouse and agricultural equipment, agrochemicals, hydroponic systems, greenhouse horticulture equipment, and agricultural civil engineering |
SanTerra
| Head office | Tokyo |
|---|---|
| President | Shigeru Oya |
| Business | High-function greenhouse films, multipurpose films, and greenhouse design and setup |
Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore
A government organization that is responsible for ensuring a resilient supply of safe food, safeguarding the health and welfare of animals, safeguarding the health of plants and facilitating agri-trade.
Ngee Ann Polytechnic
Inaugurated in 1963, Ngee Ann Polytechnic is one of Singapore’s leading institutions of higher learning, offering 49 full-time courses through its nine academic schools, such as the School of Life Sciences & Chemical Technology.
Ministry of National Development
Singapore’s key government ministry that is responsible for national land use planning and development.
The Singapore Economic Development Board
The lead government agency for planning and executing strategies to enhance Singapore’s position as a global business center
Contact
Corporate Communications Office.
27-1, Shinkawa 2-chome, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-8260, Japan
TEL: +81-3-5543-5102 FAX: +81-3-5543-5901