home 쐽 THE STRAITS TIMES TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14 2008 PAGE B2

Retailers are sourcing

closer to home and
cutting out middlemen
BY JESSICA LIM
WITH a greater variety of organic pro-
duce now coming from closer to home,
the prices of these foods have fallen.
Fruit and vegetables from Malaysia
and Thailand, grown without pesticides
and artificial fertilisers, are now in super-
markets and stores here, alongside prici-
er goods from Australia and the United
States.
At NTUC FairPrice, 500g of organic
carrots from Thailand cost $3.50, com-
pared to $5.15 for those from Australia.
Some of the more than 30 varieties of
vegetables in its “Pasar Organic” range
cost up to 40 per cent less than organic
produce from countries further afield,
noted the supermarket chain’s director
of integrated purchasing Tng Ah Yiam.
The range has logged a 30 per cent
jump in sales since its launch in July.
A spokesman for the Dairy Farm
group, which owns the Cold Storage su-
permarket chain, said prices of organic
produce had also fallen at its outlets by
up to 27 per cent over the past year.
Organic snow peas, for example,
which cost $9.50 for 100g last year, are
now going at $6.50.
This is good news for consumers in a
year of rising prices.
Administrative manager Pauline Tan,
54, who has gone organic with 10 of her
friends in the past year, said: “Age is
catching up with us and we realise we
have to eat more healthily.”
Like her, more people believe that nat-
urally grown foods are healthier, though
research has yet to bear it out.
The rise of organic farms in the region
is one factor behind the falling prices.
The other is the practice of some suppli-
ers who bypass distributors and sell di-
rectly to shops and supermarkets.
Zenxin Agri-Organic Food, for exam-
ple, supplies vegetables from its farms in
Malaysia to its stall, Zenxin Organic, in
the Pasir Panjang Wholesale Centre, as
well as to supermarkets and stores here.
Mr Tai Seng Yee, 25, and his father be-
gan organic farming in Kelantan six
years ago. Last year, their four farms
were certified organic by the National As-
sociation for Sustainable Agriculture Aus-
tralia.
The young Malaysian said being near
his markets saves him transport and stor-
age costs. The vegetables reach consum-
ers in a fresher state too.
Burgeoning harvests from regional
Sales of organic foods QUICKNEWS
LTA radio updates
increase as prices fall MOTORISTS can tune in to four
radio channels for more timely
traffic news from the Land
Transport Authority (LTA) from
Oct 28.
It has bought air-time on
938LIVE, Capital 95.8FM, Warna
94.2FM and Oli 96.8FM to
broadcast traffic updates up to five
times more frequently than during
the current morning and evening
peak periods.
Drivers will be informed of
accidents, vehicle breakdowns,
obstructions and road works as
well as emergencies.
Focus on education
EDUCATION Minister Ng Eng Hen
is now in Malaysia to discuss ways
of strengthening education tie-ups.
During the two-day visit, which
started yesterday, he will meet his
Malaysian counterpart
Hishammuddin Tun Hussein and
Deputy Higher Education Minister
Datuk Idris Haron. Talks are
expected to centre on creating
more opportunities for student
exchanges and private education.
The minister will also visit a
primary school, Multimedia
University and the University of
Nottingham’s Malaysian campus.
Dr Ng, who is also the Second
Minister for Defence, will meet his
Malaysian defence counterparts.
He is accompanied by senior
PAY MORE FOR HEALTHIER CHOICES Madam Cheng Tick Cheng, 65, shopping for organic food in Toa Payoh, is officials from the Ministry of
among many benefiting from the drop in prices. ST PHOTO: ASHLEIGH SIM
Education and the Ministry of
Price of non- Price of Price Defence.
Item
organic product organic product difference
Times check with 10 This may soon change, predicted Euro-
Cherry tomatoes (250g) $2.70 $3.20 $0.50 retail outlets from su- monitor International research manager Asean meet on poverty
permarket chains to Yvonne Kok. She suggested that organic
Kailan (250g) $0.85 $2.55 $1.70 SINGAPORE is hosting the sixth
HDB shops here found skin-care products and cosmetics for
US russet potatoes (2.27kg) $3.80 $21 $17.20 that demand has dou- both men and women could be big next. Asean Senior Officials’ Meeting on
Low-fat milk (946ml) $2.45 $8.90 $6.45 bled in just one year. Organic Garden in Woodlands has Rural Development and Poverty
Mr Tan Chin Hian, seen customers becoming more savvy. Eradication.
Thai fragrant rice (1 kg) $2.75 $6.95 $4.20 managing director of Storekeeper Jenny Chua said: “When The two-day meeting, which
NOTE: Prices do not take quality into account major supplier Ban we first set up shop, people asked basic opened yesterday, will focus on
Choon Marketing, esti- questions about sea salt. Now, they are sustainable rural development and
mates that there are asking sophisticated questions about nu- poverty reduction. About 60
farms like his help bring prices down. now 75 organic shops in Singapore, up tritional content.” delegates from the 10 member
Zenxin’s stall now charges $1.70 for Retiree Maria Tsai, 67, believes going countries will review the work
from 40 two years ago.
100g of green capsicums from Thailand; organic is about taking charge of one’s done in this area.
a year ago, it was charging $3.20 for Aus- Organic products sold here range health: “Large companies take care of on- Tomorrow, delegates from the
tralian capsicums. from food to skin-care items and sham- ly its profits. It is up to us to take care of China, Japan and South Korea will
The falling prices have triggered a de- poo, but regional suppliers are currently our health ourselves.” join the discussion.
mand for organic produce. A Straits sticking mainly to leafy greens. limjess@sph.com.sg

21 people strayed onto MRT tracks this year

BY SERENE LUO
EVERY time someone strays onto the
MRT tracks, thousands of other commut-
ers are likely to face delays of up to an
hour – more, if the perpetrator is hit by a
train.
So far this year, 21 people have fallen
or found their way onto the tracks. Last
year, 31 people did so, and 30 the year be-
fore, an SMRT spokesman said.
More than 70 per cent of the cases
were intentional, that is, the perpetrators
were drunk, high on drugs or trying to
commit suicide.
The others had unintentionally slipped
onto the tracks when they felt faint, lost
their balance or were careless.
All the cases took place on the
above-ground portions of lines operated
by SMRT. SBS Transit, which operates
the wholly underground North-East Line,
has not had any cases of people straying
onto the tracks since it opened in 2003.
Underground stations have platform
screen doors that remain closed until a
train pulls into the station.
As a safety measure, the Land Trans-
port Authority (LTA) said it would com-
plete installing half-height platform
screen doors at three above-ground MRT
stations – Pasir Ris, Jurong East and Yis-
hun – by the end of next year.
Tracks out of bounds
UNDER the Rapid Transit System
Regulations, trespassers may be fined up
to $5,000; those who cross the yellow
line may be fined up to $500.
Under the Rapid Transit Systems Act,
anyone who endangers the lives of
others may be fined up to $10,000,
jailed up to five years or both.
Drunk trespassers can be charged for
being drunk in public. They can be fined
up to $1,000 or jailed for up to a month.
Though the LTA will fit the 1.5m-tall
doors at the 33 remaining above-ground
stations by 2012, it wants to assess their
suitability first at these three stations, a
spokesman said.
In cases of people getting hit by trains,
besides the jam-packed platforms and
rush for shuttle bus alternatives, there
are also the “non-quantifiable costs” to
passengers, such as “emotional distress
to commuters who witness the incident”,
said an SMRT spokesman.
In the past week, there were two cases
of people falling onto MRT tracks, the lat-
est being last Saturday morning, when a
man in his late 40s leapt onto the tracks
at Yishun station and was hit by a train.
He died later in hospital. Almost 3,000
commuters were affected when
south-bound services between Sem-
bawang and Yio Chu Kang stations were
disrupted for half an hour.
Last Tuesday, a man in his 30s was
caught walking on the tracks. Though
staff stopped him just 200m after he had
left Clementi station, he still caused
trains to be delayed by almost 10 minutes
around 9am. It is understood that the
man had been drinking.
Financial management lecturer Ernest
Ho, 35, said having platform screen doors
was long overdue. He believed they “will
give people less opportunity to jump and
time to re-think the consequences”.