On 25 June 1959, the government announced the amalgamation of the agriculture, co-operatives, fisheries, rural development and veterinary divisions of the Ministry of National Development to form the Primary Production Department (PPD).The main objective was to ensure that the needs of farmers and fishermen were better served.[1] The integration was also to facilitate increased coordination and cooperation between units so that policies could be implemented more quickly. Duplication of services was also reduced as the department adopted a central administration and financial system.[2] Dr Thaw Ah Kow, the former rural development commissioner, was appointed as PPD’s acting director.[3]
The focus of the PPD’s work in the 1960s and 1970s was to improve production by introducing new methods of farming and fishing. By the 1980s, when agricultural land had been greatly reduced by urbanisation, the PPD turned its attention to high-tech farms as well as the management and inspection of imported food products.[4]
The PPD was restructured into a statutory board and renamed the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) on 1 April 2000.[5]
References
1. State of Singapore. Primary Production Department. (1960) Annual report of the Primary Production Department 1960 (p. 1). Singapore: Primary Production Department. Call no.: RCLOS 338.095957 SPPDA; Dr Tham is head of new dept. of Primary Production. (1959, June 26). The Straits Times, p. 4. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
2. Republic of Singapore. Primary Production Department. (1967). Review of the Primary Production Department, 1960–1965 (p. 1). Singapore: Government Printing Office. Call no.: RCLOS 338.1 SIN.
3. The Straits Times, 26 Jun 1959, p. 4.
4. Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore. (2012). History. Retrieved August 27, 2013, from AgriFood & Veterinary Authority of Singapore website: http://www.ava.gov.sg/AboutAVA/History/
5. Republic of Singapore. Government Gazette. Acts Supplement. (2012, December 31, Rev. ed). Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority Act (Cap 5). Retrieved August 27, 2013, from Attorney-General's Chambers website: http://statutes.agc.gov.sg/aol/search/display/view.w3p;ident=bd0668b4-5e0b-49ee-a7be-94b07d7ec0a0;page=0;query=DocId%3A7bcb5800-a99f-4fe7-8a19-107171e433e3%20Depth%3A0%20ValidTime%3A27%2F08%2F2013%20TransactionTime%3A27%2F08%2F2013%20Status%3Ainforce;rec=0
The information in this article is valid as at 2014 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.