theceomagazine.com | 161have an upside for the farms. “The good
thing about going through this process is that
it helps the farm in terms of biosecurity.
With all the certification, it really helps
us towards being resourceful and having
robust systems to ensure our biosecurity.”
Managing the response to biosecurity
threats is just one challenge for the farm.
“I think we are growing. We are trying
to match the size of the operations to the
market because, compared with other
countries, Singapore is small. We are probably
10–12 per cent of the market, so it’s quite
a nice size to maintain.”
While the industry may be constantly
evolving, the farm remains clear on its prime
selling point. “Our focus has always been on
delivering the freshest eggs. We will expand,
but I don’t suppose we will go very far with
more product lines. We don’t want niche
products. What we want are fast-moving
products that maintain their freshness and fly
off the shelf. Consumers only buy fresh eggs.
“Fortunately, in the farming business,
freshness counts and local produce counts.
We can really bank on our freshness.”background in feed milling, we worked
on the feed formulation and we gave the
chickens better feed. Because we invested
in feed, our eggs will be fresh and high
in quality.”
Seng Choon Farm has also claimed
an edge over its competitors by marketing its
product. “My father was the first in Singapore
and maybe in Asia to market eggs, nearly
30 years ago,” Koh explains. “It was
uncommon in this part of the world.
It was only beginning to become common
in America and Europe back then.”
Koh’s father saw a gap in the market and
travelled to farms and trade shows in America
to learn best practice in marketing eggs.
It quickly became a key part of Seng Choon
Farm’s business and it remains so today. “It’s
important that we communicate to our
customers that although our costs are high,
we bring a high-quality and very fresh
product. That’s why we can withstand
competition from Malaysia.”
Another challenge in the poultry farming
industry is managing biosecurity risks. Just as
short-term leases are useful in forcing poultry
farmers to embrace modern technology,
Singapore’s stringent regulatory requirements
“ Fortunately, in the
farming business,
freshness counts
and local produce
counts. We can
really bank on
our freshness.”
Interview | INVEST