Singapore: Woman starts petition to save her longtime Lim Chu Kang farm
“Over the last 20 years, we have perfected natural farming in a way that restores a natural habitat for native Singapore wildlife while simultaneously serving as a productive and nutritious organic food source for Singaporeans,” said Eng.
By CHING SHI JIE
Asia One
July 10, 2022
Excerpt:
She has spent more than $700,000 of her own retirement savings on building a farm in Lim Chu Kang from scratch in 1999, but for Evelyn Eng, it is not just about the money.
“It’s such a waste of potential (of the farmland) if everything here gets bulldozed,” said this 78-year-old in an interview with AsiaOne.
Once littered with plastics and building debris 23 years ago, the 2.2-hectare land (equivalent to the size of four football fields) along Neo Tiew Road that Green Circle Eco-Farm currently sits on is now capable of producing organic vegetables with “sustainable farming methods”, she said.
But for this farm, the end is near.
The 20-year lease on the land of this farm ended in 2019 and while it was given a short lease extension due to the pandemic, the land will have to be returned to the government in three weeks time, said Eng.
This farmer also said she would not be compensated by the authorities either.
To Eng, this farm wasn’t just an income source, it was also a retirement home for her and her husband. They have since moved out earlier this year when their home faced persistent issues with plumbing and the electrical wiring.
Time is running out not just for Green Circle Eco-Farm but for 62 other farms in the Lim Chu Kang area.
These farms – which include food production, ornamental fish and bird farms, as well as orchid nurseries – were slated to clear out by end-2021, as the land they sit on will be redeveloped for military use.
