The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) has launched the second part of its Food Fund programme.
The S$10 million fund aims to encourage businesses and local farms to maximise productivity levels and enhance local food supply resilience by supporting R&D, farm capability upgrading and food diversification.
The Fund co-funds up to 70% of a project's cost (up to a maximum of S$2 million). This includes investments in automation, mechanisation or other productivity improvements such as:
- Basic Farm Capability: Purchase of basic equipment such as generators, workboats, etc.
- Advance Farm Capability: Purchase of irrigation systems, cold chain facilities, etc.
- Technical Boosters: Testing of new better quality seeds or fish fry
This second installment of funding also broadens the scope of funding to include two new R&D categories.
- A Challenge Call for R&D projects seeks proposals that address some specific challenges in the farming industry. These include R&D projects for:
- a cost effective technology to manage poultry waste and disease-free composts for vegetable farming and/or biogas production
- achieving consistent fish fry production for common food fish
The deadline to apply for the Challenge Call is 5pm, 31 October 2011.
Learn more about the Challenge Call .
- An Open Call is for innovations or projects that can maximise local farm production in eggs, vegetables or fish.
AVA will also co-fund studies that assess the potential of investing in food zones overseas, overseas contract farming and food sourcing from non-traditional sources.
First launched in 2009, the programme has awarded some S$6 million to 15 projects.
Learn more about AVA's Food Fund Programme.
