Singapore to Try Growing Crops Across Border in Bid to Cut Costs

Vincent Wei led fellow Singaporean farmers around an empty Malaysian plot, laying out plans for a greenhouse and rows of leafy vegetables. What he pitched was not just space for crops but a lifeline for growers struggling to make ends meet in a city-state with high prices and little vacant land.

The to-be agriculture hub is part of a joint special economic zone launched last year by the two neighbors, expected to cost $123 million and produce 10,000 tons of fresh produce annually. It’s luring Singapore’s farmers with promises of cheaper land, labor, and energy just over the border.