SFA Extends Farm Lease Timelines and Adds Crop Flexibility
On 29 May 2026, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) announced a public tender for two land parcels designated for vegetable farming: ST28I at Sungei Tengah and LCK 218 at Lim Chu Kang. Both parcels are offered on a 20‑year lease. Proposals will be assessed on production capability, track record, farming experience, innovation and business sustainability. The tender closes at 12 noon on 28 July 2026. Tender documents are available on the SFA website.
Alongside the land tender, the SFA introduced three enhancements to the lease framework following industry feedback.
First, the Project Completion Period (PCP) – the time to obtain a Temporary Occupancy Permit or Certificate of Statutory Completion – is extended from three to five years for successful tenderers from SAS 2026 onwards. This recognises that planning and construction have become more complex for agri‑tech farm development.
Second, the timeline to meet a farm’s declared Potential Production Output (PPO) is extended from five to eight years from lease commencement, also for SAS 2026 tenderers. This gives farms additional time to establish their off‑take channels before scaling production.
Third, from 1 September 2026, all existing and new farms may apply to diversify their production of key food types (leafy vegetables, fruited vegetables, beansprouts, mushrooms, eggs and seafood) on a 1:1 tonnage basis to meet their declared PPO, subject to SFA approval. Previously this was not allowed.
Mr Leong Der Yao, SFA’s Deputy CEO (Corporate, Industry and Technology), said local production is a regenerative source of fresh food that remains available even during prolonged disruptions when imports cannot reach Singapore. He added that these enhancements give farms greater flexibility and support a viable local farming sector while contributing to food resilience.
SFA stated that Grow Local remains an important pillar of its food resilience strategy. It will continue to release a steady supply of agri‑spaces in upcoming Singapore Agri‑Space Sales programmes.
