Vegetable farming for the future

Welcome to Netatech

Armed with technology from Israel that has turned barren strips of desert into blooming fruit orchards, Netatech stands on the threshold of the present and the future.

From its location in the heart of north-western Singapore, the company’s urban farm nurtures, grows and harvests the freshest crops for Singapore. Nai bai, kai lan and water spinach are just some of the vegetables grown at this thriving farm.

Daniel Wong — Head of technology at Netatech — gives us a peep into the nuances of modern vegetable farming in Singapore.

Drip irrigation

Unlike traditional farms, Netatech uses a system of drip irrigation to water its plants, allowing for lower costs, less labour, and higher crop yields. “We were the first company to introduce drip irrigation into skyrise greeneries and urban farms in Singapore,” Daniel says. “Drip irrigation is the ideal solution because it’s a lot more water-efficient.”

Making it rain

To help fuel its drip irrigation, Netatech also harvests rainwater and storm water runoff to meet demands for water on the farm. “We were using PUB water at first,” Daniel says. “But since PUB water is heavily treated for drinking, bathing and cooking, it’s very valuable for Singaporeans, which is why we minimise its use by supplementing it with rainwater.”

Crops and human connection

The attention and care that go into nurturing Netatech’s crops would not be meaningful if not for the trust that consumers have in the safety and wholesomeness of the product. “I met this girl with a rare medical condition,” Daniel shares. “She has to eat vegetables with every meal to prevent her blood sugar from spiking and she can’t just eat vegetables with pesticides, otherwise her body would react negatively. She stumbled upon our vegetables and her body is responding well to it. That is because we don’t use any pesticides in our crops.”

Customised plant food

You’ve probably heard the saying ‘You are what you eat’ — apparently the same holds true for plants as well.

Netatech employs specific nutrient solutions that can modify their crops to be tastier and have a more pleasing texture.

Automation at its finest

Besides employing modern technology like drip irrigation, Netatech has automated a whole range of farming processes on their farm, allowing them to increase their yield without relying on excessive amounts of manpower.

“We have a seeding machine that can do 40,000 seeds in an hour,” Daniel illustrates. “Doing it by hand would take more than 10 hours to achieve what this machine can do in 1 hour.”

Fascinating Farm Facts

Farming is a fascinating profession. Here are some fun factoids to chew on!

70% of Netatech’s water use goes into irrigation of its crops. With automation, the process can be streamlined to take just 10 minutes.

Netatech also helms CrowdFarmX, a cooperative farming platform aimed at helping rural communities and farmers overseas.

Calcium is what gives a vegetable its structure, and more calcium in plant fertiliser can lead to a vegetable with a firmer texture.

Feast for SG’s food security

Eat local and do your part to support our local farming community.

Eager to taste Netatech’s fine produce for yourself? You’ll be able to indulge in a smorgasbord of the farm’s freshest vegetables at Cold Storage under the Netafresh label and on RedMart, under the Red Dot Farm label.

Be sure to keep an eye out for the SG Fresh Produce logo below to sample produce proudly grown and harvested on Singaporean soil.