Quail egg producer’s land loss: A matter of economics or a blow to family-run farms?
While some readers were upset or disappointed as they recalled fondly their experiences at Mr Ho’s farm, others said that the best producer should win based on the conditions of the tender.
Readers were divided on TODAY’S news report on quail egg farmer William Ho, who failed to get a plot of land to continue farming through a tender by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA). He lost out to a smaller quail egg farmer and a chicken egg farmer who were deemed to be “productive, have the relevant experience and track record”. While some were upset or disappointed as they recalled fondly their experiences at Mr Ho’s farm — which will have to go come December 2021 — others said that the best producer should win based on the conditions of the tender.
Really sad to hear of this news, Uncle William is a dedicated farmer and have been very passionate in educating children who visit his farms. Hope that the Government can extend the lease for his existing farm. JEREMY YIP ENG HOW
Uncle William's farm not only produces quail eggs but also hosts visits from pre-schools and primary schools. Now our kids have one fewer place to go for outings. They can only look at picture books or iPads to see what a farm looks like. SIEW GUEK LIEW
So sad to hear this. We followed Uncle William on farm tours and he was the best guide. I hope AVA can allow him to extend his lease by another 15 years. He is a very dedicated egg farmer and it will be Singapore's loss if we lose his farm. SARAH DOREEN
So sad for him... He's such a dedicated and passionate farmer, and unselfishly shared his wealth of knowledge to those who visited the farm. ZALIFAH IBRAHIM
It's an open tender, best proposal and price wins. KAILOON TEO
Why doesn't he plan for automation as the largest quail egg farmer in Singapore? BENI ONG
The Government’s job is to provide the market and the infrastructure and services for businessmen to conduct their business. It’s not the Government’s job to ensure their business last forever. GEORGE TAY
Have you visited his quail farm before? I have done it about four times over different years and each time I visited his farm, I was always happy that someone is doing that job to bring us eggs on the table. There is nothing that innovative about rearing chickens and quails. The innovation that you are talking about is to stack more fowls into a limited space and higher fowls per square foot. ALVIN KUO
It’s not about whether Uncle William is a passionate farmer or not. If he is not innovative enough, then he should give way to the next generation of farmers. This is business, and it applies to the rest of us… Same as what people would think about rearing fishes. People would say, ‘What can you change about a kelong?’ Then along came the folk who built vertical fish farms that improved yields. People are always nostalgic and resistant to change, but that doesn't move us forward. ALVIN CHUA
Yield isn’t everything. Quality matters. You can have all the yield you want, but if the quality of your produce is inferior, then consumers won’t bother. We can’t take that same cookie-cutter approach and apply to every industry. JEFFREY YEO
Always feel so upset when we lose another local farm. We shouldn’t rely so much on imports, better if we can increase the number of farmers here. When egg prices go up again… don’t complain later. Even if local produce is slightly more expensive, I still prefer that… for longer term sustainability. WYDIA LEE
I remember that when I was young I visited the farm and he promised to give each kid a quail if they score good results. It was the first time I met a farmer who would give away livestock to encourage students to study harder! SEBASTIAN SIM
My son visited the farm on a learning journey and wrote a journal about it. He asked that I buy Uncle William's quail eggs if I do buy quail eggs. I hope Uncle William has other alternatives to continue his business, especially the education portion. WINNIE AW
Knew Uncle William since young and have been actively purchasing eggs from him. Hope he can keep his farm for both economical and education purposes. SEAN AARON
*Comments were first posted on TODAY's Facebook page and TODAY Readers Facebook group. They are edited for language and clarity.
