Singapore-headquartered Japfa has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) to develop a strategic R&D partnership in tropical aquaculture.
The MoU was signed at the opening of Singapore International Agri-Food Week (SIAW) 2026 by Gabriella Santosa, Director and COO Corporate Shared Services of Japfa Pte Ltd, and Leong Der Yao, Deputy CEO of SFA. Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment, and Ardi Budiono, Head of Aquaculture at Japfa, witnessed the signing.
The partnership combines Singapore’s research capabilities with the expertise of Japfa and its aquaculture business, Suri Tani Pemuka (STP). It will initially focus on aquatic health and disease management, and on digital technologies such as AI-enabled disease monitoring, farm decision-making and traceability.
With more than 50 years of experience in producing protein across Asia, from livestock to aquaculture, Japfa brings a deep understanding of tropical farming.
This partnership also presents opportunities for Singapore’s research institutions, technology providers and industry partners to co-develop solutions that enable earlier detection of disease and environmental risks, and improve farm management.
“Advances in aquaculture work best when research and production go hand in hand, grounded in a clear understanding of what happens on the farm. Producing food efficiently, sustainably and at scale in our region requires approaches developed and refined under local conditions and enabled by the latest technologies. We look forward to working with SFA and Singapore’s research community to explore solutions that deliver real impact,” said Ms Santosa.
Damian Chan, CEO of SFA, said, “The value of R&D lies in translating scientific innovation into practical solutions that can address real-world farming needs. By bringing together Singapore’s research capabilities and Japfa’s operational and technological expertise and scale, we can accelerate the development and adoption of practical solutions in aquatic health, disease management and digital aquaculture.”
Through the MoU, Japfa and SFA aim to strengthen the linkages between research and industry and accelerate the development of practical solutions that can be adopted and scaled in commercial farming.
Beyond advancing Singapore’s capabilities in tropical aquaculture, this partnership can also serve as a platform for developing innovations that can help address shared aquaculture challenges across the region and contribute to a more resilient and sustainable regional food system.
About Japfa
Headquartered in Singapore, Japfa Pte Ltd is one of Asia’s leading protein producers. For over 50 years, it has provided poultry, pork, beef, dairy and aquaculture products to millions of people across the region.
With nearly 40,000 employees, the group operates across emerging Asian markets including Indonesia, Vietnam, India, Myanmar and Bangladesh. Its fully integrated farm-to-table model spans animal feed and breeding, farming, processing and distribution, supported by a strong focus on innovation.
Japfa operates its aquaculture business through Suri Tani Pemuka (STP), which is recognized as a total solution provider in aquaculture, integrating feed manufacturing, hatcheries, technical laboratory support and digital farming innovations to empower farmers.
For more information, please visit www.japfa.com
About the Singapore Food Agency
As Singapore’s lead agency for food-related matters, the Singapore Food Agency’s (SFA) mission is to ensure and secure a supply of safe food for Singapore.
To safeguard Singapore’s food security, the Singapore Food Story 2 adopts a multi-pronged approach built on four pillars: diversify imports, global partnerships, stockpile, and grow local.
SFA works closely with government agencies, businesses and consumers to manage food security risks and ensure that we always have a continuous supply of safe food.
As there is no food security without food safety, SFA has in place an integrated farm-to-fork food safety system which adopts a risk-based approach that is guided by science and aligned with international standards.
SFA also keeps abreast of the latest scientific developments to further strengthen food safety capabilities and ensure that food in Singapore is safe for consumption.
Food safety and security is a joint responsibility between the government, food industry, and consumers. SFA continuously strives to foster an enabling environment that supports all stakeholders to play their part and contribute to Singapore’s food resilience.