Today-June 26
Singapore must do more to diversify its food sources as countries around the world are likely to continue prioritising local supply amid soaring prices, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Saturday (June 25). Mr Lee was speaking to Singapore media to wrap up his attendance at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Kigali, where he has also urged countries not to become protectionist against a backdrop of pandemic-induced supply chain shocks. The Prime Minister on Saturday called the situation “worrying”, but added that it is also “not so surprising” that countries are closing their export markets as supplies dwindle and prices rise. For instance, he pointed to how the war in Ukraine has disrupted the export of millions of tons of grain, causing a shortage in feedstock and thus an increase in poultry prices. “Countries are under pressure and they will do things. It’s not according to the rules of the WTO (World Trade Organization). You’re not supposed to close your markets when supplies get short. But under pressure, this is what governments do,” he said. “We are a food importer, so it is a problem for us. It’s a problem which we anticipated already when Covid started.” “If we can be a little bit more flexible in our habits, it will be much easier to go through these difficult times.” Read more at: https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/food-sources-supply-disruptions-lee-hsien-loong-1933476
