|
|
news
articles about singapore's wild places
|
| full
list of articles on our wild places | homepage
of our wild places The Straits Times, 14 Jan 05 Farm stay - right here in S'pore by Tan Hui Yee SINGAPORE'S farms have been given the green light to take in staying guests, as well as to open shops and restaurants on their premises, as the number of people taking a look at the simple life grows. The Urban Redevelopment Authority, which has been approving these extras on a case-by-case basis, announced the good news in a circular last week. Only 10 farms here currently have visitor facilities. They include Qian Hu fish farm near Sungei Tengah, which has a souvenir shop and education centre, and organic vegetable farm Bollywood Veggies in Kranji, which has a bistro. The URA said it has applications for such extras from two other farms, waiting for approval. There are 277 farms here, growing mostly orchids and vegetables or rearing ornamental fish, and they occupy a total of 800ha. Under the new rules, food and retail outlets can occupy up to 200sqm on a farm, facilities for people to stay overnight up to 300sqm, and visitor centres for showcasing farm-related exhibits up to 200sqm. All these cannot occupy more than 30 per cent of the farm. Those who do want to offer such add-ons will have to pay the Singapore Land Authority more rent, as these are deemed to be for 'commercial' rather than 'agricultural' use, and this has upset the farmers. How much more varies with the facility, but Bollywood Veggies was asked to pay $100 extra for its 140sqm bistro, on top of its approximately $5,000 monthly rent. If the eating place is still operating in three years, that additional rent will be raised to $1,000, said one of the owners, Mrs Ivy Singh-Lim, 55. She pointed out angrily: 'This is not Orchard Road, where people walk into your restaurant every day to eat.' Farmers said despite the growing interest in agricultural visits, there are few - if any - people coming by on weekdays. Demand is also highly seasonal, with some farms having the bulk of their visitors during school holidays. Besides, Mrs Singh-Lim added, small farms like her 4ha one tend to be unprofitable and need some food or retail operation to survive. She likened it to bed and breakfast set-ups at British farms. Dairy owner John Hay, 50, is eager to serve food at his place in Lim Chu Kang Lane 4 because his visitors have been complaining about the lack of eating places nearby. He said he tried to set up a snack bar last year, but gave up because of the amount of paperwork required. Asked if he would try again, he said: 'I'd like to see the requirements first.' Making things more difficult for the farmers is the relatively short leases they are given - 20 years. Under such circumstances, they say, it does not make sense to sink thousands into visitor facilities if the additional rent means they cannot recoup their investment. The URA, however, claimed the premium is 'fair', on the grounds that cafes and shops in much more populated areas, like the suburbs and the city, have to pay commercial rates for their space. A 200sqm first-storey retail outlet at Causeway Point in Woodlands can cost about $54,000 a month to rent. It appears some agreement needs to be reached between the two sides as public interest in farm visits increases. Mr Hay, for example, said the number of people going to his farm has risen 20 to 30 per cent over the last two years. The draw for American tourist Christine Dunn, 52, was that the island had such places. 'My image of Singapore was that it was all city.' For Singaporean engineer Ng Siew Lin, 40, such places 'give us a break from our hectic lives without the hassle of going to Malaysia'. Links Farms at Kranji: factsheet for visitors |
website©ria tan 2003 www.wildsingapore.com |