Farmlands in Lim Chu Kang

The Lim Chu Kang district is located in the north of Singapore and is bounded by the Johor Straits, Kranji Reservoir and the Western Water Catchment of Singapore. It covers an area of approximately 1,781 hectares, and is a largely rural district comprising mainly farms, farm-stay chalets and the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve.¹ Farms in Lim Chu Kang today are modern, intensive farms that use technology to optimise the land in Singapore. The area has also become a popular attraction that provides visitors with a chance to experience rural farm life in Singapore.²

History
Lim Chu Kang was founded by Neo Tiew, a Chinese immigrant in the early 20th century. The name Lim Chu Kang is derived from the Chinese term kangchu (港主), which translates as “owner of the river”.³ It is also the term used for the system of land ownership for pepper and gambier plantations in the region from the 1800s to early 1900s. The name may have originated from the fact that these plantations and their surrounding village settlements were situated along the riverbanks.⁴

In the 1800s, Lim Chu Kang comprised mainly pepper, gambier and rubber plantations.⁵ From the 1900s, its landscape began to change when the government acquired 54 acres in Lim Chu Kang for the Royal Air Force (RAF) to build RAF Tengah in 1934.⁶

In the 1950s, the government acquired more land to resettle squatter farmers. More than 5,000 acres of old rubber plantations, swamp and scrubland in Lim Chu Kang, Kranji and Choa Chu Kang for resettlement.⁷ The government also began to develop land for farming and setting up the first animal husbandry station in Lim Chu Kang, to provide veterinary services and help farmers to produce more food.⁸ In the late 1950s, because of scientific research and good husbandry, local food production in livestock and vegetables flourished, so much so that Singapore could export its produce.⁹

By the late 1970s, rapid industrialisation, urbanisation and development of water catchment areas led to a decrease in agricultural land use in Singapore. Pig farming was deemed as a highly polluting activity, and there were plans to make Lim Chu Kang as a large-scale pig farming area while pig farms in other areas in Singapore were to be phased out. However, in 1984, the government announced that all pig farms would no longer be allowed. The last day of pig farms in Lim Chu Kang was in August 1986.¹⁰

In 1986, the Primary Production Department under the Ministry of National Development embarked on its agrotechnology programme to maximise land use for farming with the use of technology. Farmlands in Lim Chu Kang, Murai, Sungei Tengah, Mandai, Nee Soon and Loyang were converted into modern agrotechnology parksand rented out over 20-year leases,to provide some of Singapore’s food and export, besides serving as research and development centres.¹¹

The Lim Chu Kang agrotechnology park has more than a hundred farms, some of which are opened to the public and offer guided tours. Notable farms include Hay Dairies, Singapore’s only goat farm; and Bollywood Farms (formerly Bollywood Veggies), which grows a range of produce such as medicinal herbs and tropical fruits.¹²

Lim Chu Kang is also home to the 10-ha Agri-Bio Park, which opened in 1999 for activities such as R&D in fish vaccines, food safety, and animal and plant health testing.¹³ Among the occupants in the Agri-Bio Park are the Animal & Plant Health Centre and the Veterinary Public Health Centre.¹⁴ The Marine Fisheries Research Department of the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Centre used to be located in the Agri-Bio Park before being relocated to St John’s Island.¹⁵

Farms in the 21st Century
In 2000, selected farms in Lim Chu Kang participated in a new initiative by the Singapore Tourism Board, serving as tourist attractions for visitors to experience Singapore’s rural farm life.¹⁶ Farm tours to Lim Chu Kang were given a boost in 2005 when the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) allowed farms in Singapore to take in guests for farm stays and to run retail shops or food outlets on their premises.¹⁷ In the same year Kranji Countryside Association was established to champion the farms and farmers in the area.¹⁸

Under the URA’s Master Plan 2008, Lim Chu Kang and Kranji were further developed as a countryside destination for farm-related entertainment activities. Activities would include farm stays, spa treatments, guided strolls through plantations and hands-on farming activities.¹⁹

In 2014, the western part of Lim Chu Kang, which included vacant land and some farmlands, was slated to be redeveloped for the Singapore Armed Forces’ use. The land was to replace military training land that had been given up for the development of Tengah New Town. The affected farms, such as the Jurong Frog Farm, cleared out by the end of 2021.²⁰

In 2020, the Singapore Food Agency announced that 390 ha of land in Lim Chu Kang would be redeveloped into a high-tech farmland. This was to ramp up local food production to meet the “30 by 30” goal, where local food would consist of 30 per cent of Singapore’s needs by 2030. Lim Chu Kang will also be developed as a recreational area for families. Development works are expected to start in 2024.²¹

Authors
Jean Lim and Shereen Tay



References
1. Urban Redevelopment Authority, Central Water Catchment, Lim Chu Kang, North-Eastern Islands, Tengah, Western Islands, Western Water Catchment Planning Areas: Planning Report 1997 (Singapore: Urban Redevelopment Authority, 1997), 8. (Call no. RSING 711.4095957 SIN)
2. Cara van Miriah, “Farmstay: Singapore,” New Paper, 13 January 2008, 13. (From NewspaperSG)
3. Carl A. Trocki, "The Origins of the Kangchu System 1740–1860," Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society 49, no. 2 (1976), 132. (From JSTOR via NLB’s eResources website)
4. Victor R. Savage and Brenda S. A. Yeoh, Toponymics: A Study of Singapore Street Names (Singapore: Eastern Universities Press, 2004), 234–35. (Call no. RSING 915.9570014 SAV-[TRA])
5. Toh Wen Li, “Century-old Heritage Road in Way of Air Base Expansion,” Straits Times, 20 July 2017, 1. (From NewspaperSG)
6. “How the Money Goes,” Malaya Tribune, 5 October 1931, 3; “New Service Aerodrome Ready,” Straits Times, 1 December 1935, 5. (From NewspaperSG)
7. “Square Deal for Squatter Farmers,” Straits Times, 12 July 1956, 9; “Govt. Opens Up New Resettlement Area for Farmers,” Singapore Free Press, 30 November 1961, 15. (From NewspaperSG)
8. “They Plan to Help Colony's Farmers to Produce More Food,” Straits Times, 24 June 1953, 8; “Singapore to Give More Land to The Farmer,” Singapore Free Press, 26 October 1953, 3. (From NewspaperSG)
9. “S'pore Now Exports Pigs, Has Better Hens,” Singapore Free Press, 31 December 1958, 5; Lloyd Morgan, “The Leap Forward in Singapore Farms,” Straits Times, 6 February 1959, 8. (From NewspaperSG)
10. lyssa Ludher and Thinesh Kumar s/o Paramasilvam, Food and the City: Overcoming Challenges for Food Security (Singapore: Centre for Liveable Cities Singapore, 2018), 24–25, 29–35 (Call no. 363.8095957 LUD); “Change after Change after Change,” Straits Times, 21 April 1985, 2; “Last Day of Pig Farming in Lim Chu Kang,” Straits Times, 1 July 1986, 11; “Lim Chu Kang Area Now Cleared of Pigs,” Straits Times, 22 August 1986, 17. (From NewspaperSG)
11. Agrotechnology Parks Singapore (Singapore: Ministry of National Development, Agro-Food and Veterinary Authority, 2001), 1 (Call no. 631.2095957 AGR); “More Land to be Used For High-tech Farms,” Straits Times, 1 November 1986, 12 (From NewspaperSG); Linda Low, Singapore Towards a Developed Status (Singapore: Oxford University Press, 1999), 151. (Call no. RSING 338.90095957 SIN)
12. Lydia Vasko, “Rural Romp,” Straits Times, 18 January 2013, 2. (From NewspaperSG)
13. Abdul Hadhi, “Few Changes in just Released DGPs for Six Areas,” Business Times, 19 March 1997, 2; Raju Chellam, “Biotech Could Be Singapore's Next Winner,” Business Times, 28 May 1998, 12; K.M. Chan, “40 Years And Going Strong,” Straits Times, 8 March 2000, 14. (From NewspaperSG)
14. “About AVA,” Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore; “Lim Chu Kang,” Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore. (From NLB’s Web Archive Singapore)
15. Chan, “40 Years and Going Strong”; “Marine Fisheries Research Department/Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Centre,” Singapore Food Agency. (From NLB’s Web Archive Singapore)
16. Koh Boon Pin, “Singapore Banks on Farms to Draw Tourists,” Straits Times, 20 May 2000, 56. (From NewspaperSG)
17. Tan Hui Yee, “Farm Stay — Right Here in S'pore,” Straits Times, 14 January 2005, 16; Car Van Miriah, “Retreat to a Farm in Kranji,” Straits Times, 3 August 2008, 46. (From NewspaperSG)
18. Nahilah Said, “Farm fresh,” Straits Times, 8 April 2016, 2–3. (From NewspaperSG)
19. Lim Wei Chean, “Plans to Up Countryside Charm in Two Areas,” Straits Times, 22 May 2008, 35 (From NewspaperSG); “URA Launches New Island-wide Leisure Plan,” Urban Redevelopment Authority, 21 May 2008. (From NLB’s Web Archive Singapore).
20. Aw Cheng Wei, “Kampung Spirit Alive in Lim Chu Kang,” Straits Times, 21 November 2014, 10 (From NewspaperSG); Neo Rong Wei, “70 Lim Chu Kang Farms to Get Final Lease Extension,” Channelnews Asia, 10 September 2021; “Written Answer by Ministry of National Development on Replacement Sites for Lim Chu Kang Farms,” Ministry of National Development, 1 August 2022. (From NLB’s Web Archive Singapore)
21. Chery Tan, “Lim Chu Kang Set to be Redeveloped into High-Tech Agri-Food Cluster: SFA,” Straits Times, 2 October 2022; Lim Min Zhang, “Wanted: Ideas to Turn Lim Chu Kang Area into S’pore’s Next Attraction,” Straits Times, 17 May 2021; Cheryl Tan, “Singapore Food Agency Unveils Options to Boost Output Under Lim Chu Kang Masterplan,” Straits Times, 2 September 2023 (From Newslink via NLB’s eResources website); “Our Vision,” Singapore Food Agency, updated 26 May 2022. (From NLB’s Web Archive Singapore)



Further resources
Alvin Tan, “Neo Tiew: The Man Who Built Lim Chu Kang,” BiblioAsia 19, no. 1 (Apr–Jun 2023)

Eng Yee Peng, Diminishing Memories, video, 00:50:00 (Singapore: Eng Yee Peng, 2005). (Call no. RSING 959.57092 DIM-[HIS])

K. F. Tang, Kampong Days: Village Life and Times in Singapore Revisited (Singapore: National Archives, 1993). (Call no. RSING 959.57 KAM-[HIS])

The information in this article is valid as of November 2023 and correct as far as we can ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.