Supermarket chain FairPrice is delisting produce from at least four local urban farms, including Artisan Green, SG Veg Farms, Sustenir, and Netafarm, as part of a regular product assortment review. This shift highlights the ongoing tension between maintaining affordable retail prices and supporting Singapore’s national food resilience goals, as local farms face rising operational costs and intense competition from lower-priced imports.
The Impact on Local Urban Farms
The decision to refresh vegetable categories by August 13 has forced several farms to pivot their business models. According to FairPrice, the move is driven by data-backed consumer demand and a need to provide value-driven selections. However, for farms like Netafarm, the consequences have been immediate. The Neo Tiew-based farm has scaled down significantly, reducing its output from 60,000 packs of greens monthly to approximately 1,000, according to Netatech group CEO David Tan.
SG Veg Farms, which operates two rooftop facilities in Sembawang, now faces the urgent task of finding new distribution channels. Founder Eyleen Goh noted that the farm’s viability is at risk, as it previously relied heavily on FairPrice for sales volume. Meanwhile, Artisan Green founder Ray Poh is seeking to negotiate with the retailer, aiming to retain shelf space for three specific products: baby spinach, a lettuce medley, and a kale-spinach mix.
Local vegetable production in Singapore reached 16,600 tonnes in 2025, a slight increase from 16,400 tonnes the previous year, according to industry data.
Market Dynamics and Cost Pressures
Local farms currently contend with electricity, transport, and fertilizer costs inflated by global energy crises. These overheads often make local produce up to 1.5 times more expensive than imports from Malaysia or China. Agri-food consultant Lee Eng Keat suggests that the “feast-to-famine” risk is high for farms that lack diverse sales channels. He emphasizes that while scaling up helps close the price gap, many smaller operations currently lack the bargaining power to compete with mass-market imports.
Despite the delisting, FairPrice maintains that it remains committed to local partnerships. The retailer continues to stock produce from brands such as Green Harvest, Hydrogreens, SG Farmers’ Market, Yili, Sakura, and Kin Yan Agrotech. Retail alternatives for affected farms include platforms like RedMart, which reports it is currently onboarding six additional local vegetable and mushroom producers.
Support Systems for Local Producers
The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) is actively engaging with the affected farms to facilitate access to alternative retailers and platforms. The agency indicated that the overall impact on the nation’s total vegetable supply will be limited, as the delisted farms represent a small fraction of total production and possess existing distribution networks elsewhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is FairPrice removing some local vegetables from shelves?
FairPrice stated that it conducts regular product reviews based on store data and consumer feedback to ensure the right variety of produce is offered at the best value for customers.
Are all local farms affected by this decision?
No. FairPrice continues to carry products from several other local brands, including Green Harvest, Hydrogreens, and Kin Yan Agrotech. The review primarily impacts specific products from four farms: Artisan Green, SG Veg Farms, Sustenir, and Netafarm.
What is the SFA doing to help?
The Singapore Food Agency is in contact with the affected farms to provide assistance, which includes helping them connect with other retail outlets and digital platforms to maintain their sales volume.
Where can consumers buy local produce if it’s no longer at FairPrice?
Local produce remains available through online grocers like RedMart, wet markets, farm-direct sales, and other supermarkets like Cold Storage, Little Farms, Meidi-ya, and Ryan’s Grocery.
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