Dutch indoor farming company Growy has successfully opened its new farm in Singapore and transitioned from a research and development growing phase to commercial operations. This new facility represents Growy's commitment to providing tasty, healthy, and affordable greens for Singapore, contributing to the nation's food resilience goals.
"This is the first large scale vertical farm in Asia, and also has a large amount of automation compared to other farms in the region. We did not make too many changes in the farm hardware wise, but we did implement a lot of our own software where possible," says Ard van de Kreeke, Founder of Growy.
Ard van de Kreeke opening the event
Spanning 8,000m² and equipped with advanced automation, the Growy Singapore facility now supplies 34 different products to over 40 esteemed hotels and restaurants across the city. Operating under the well-established Chef's Farm brand from Amsterdam, the farm offers a reliable, sustainable source of flavorful greens, including microgreens such as Amaranth and Shiso, herbs like Basil and Parsley, and baby leaf varieties like Kale Mixes.
"This farm differs a lot from our Amsterdam farm. Here we work with bigger batches (benches) with completely different growing conditions. The Amsterdam farm is a next level version of the one in Singapore, with even higher automation, lower CAPEX, energy use and labor costs," says Laura van de Kreeke, Markcom manager at Growy.
Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment Dr. Koh Poh Koon, Executive Vice President of the Singapore Economic Development Mr. Lim Wey-Len, Chief Executive Officer of the Singapore Food Agency Mr. Damian Chan, Director of Growy, Ard van de Kreeke, and Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Singapore, Mr. Chris Devillers.
One highlight is the Singapore Salad Mix, which includes ingredients like Bok Choy, Naibai, and Tatsoi. This blend was thoughtfully developed in collaboration with local chefs to showcase unique flavors and vibrant colors. Feedback from pilot trials in the Central Business District and hawker centers has been overwhelmingly positive, demonstrating the
Singapore Salad Mix's broad appeal among consumers.
Looking forward, Growy aims to enter the retail market by year-end, bringing its greens sold under the Growy brand directly to Singaporean neighborhoods. "We see Singapore as the perfect step in to the Asian market, as Singapore focuses a lot on sustainability and food security. We aim to supply all of Singapore with fresh leafy greens, as well as expanding to mushrooms, strawberries and tomatoes in the future. The recent bankruptcies in Singapore have the same cause as other farms worldwide, it's all because of high cost prices. We still believe we can make an impact because of our lower cost price and high yields," Laura affirms.
As advice for starting growers, Ard Focus on the main goal: "making affordable and sustainable food accessible to everyone. The market prices for leafy greens here are insanely high, even from other urban farms. We still believe everyone deserves tasty, healthy and sustainable food, wherever you are. Focus on CAPEX, Labor and Energy in your farm and don't overcomplicate things."
For more information:
Growy
Ard van de Kreeke, Farmer
www.growy.nl