Singapore just made a major announcement on Wednesday (January 7), as it opened the world’s tallest vertical farm. The move is part of the city-state’s effort to reduce its reliance on food imports amid mounting challenges in the high-tech agriculture sector.
The facility, standing more than 23 meters tall, was developed by Greenphyto Pte Ltd with an investment of approximately S$80 million and is located in Jurong West.
The five-storey structure, built on a two-hectare site, is designed to produce up to 2,000 tonnes of vegetables per year at full capacity, although current output stands at around 200 tonnes.
The inauguration took place in the Jurong West industrial area and was attended by Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam. The move comes at a time when the Singapore government has lowered its domestic food production targets and several vertical farming operators are facing business closures.
According to The Straits Times, the Greenphyto project is the result of 14 years of development and is now being described as the tallest indoor vertical farm in the world.
23-Metre Growing Towers and Unmanned Systems
The Greenphyto facility relies entirely on automated hydroponic systems powered by artificial intelligence, robotics, and advanced manufacturing technologies. It comprises five unmanned chambers, each housing two hydroponic towers measuring 118 meters in length and 23.3 meters in height.
Still citing The Straits Times, each tower contains more than 500 stacked racks equipped with LED lighting, while each plant tray is supplied with a different nutrient formulation tailored to its growth stage. A robot moves vertically between the towers to monitor crops, transfer seedlings, and arrange the racks.
Unlike conventional hydroponic systems, the tower design is adapted from industrial supply-chain warehousing structures, enabling extreme vertical stacking exceeding 23 meters. To prevent overproduction and food waste, Greenphyto also employs an order-based production system, under which vegetables are planted only after receiving confirmed demand from retailers.
Greenphyto currently holds 69 patents focused on optimizing plant growth and improving cost efficiency.
Local Retail Sales and Global Growth Plans
Greenphyto’s vegetable products have been marketed since early 2025 through approximately 95 retail outlets nationwide.
According to The Straits Times, Greenphyto does not rely solely on vegetable sales. The company has also developed AI-powered software that monitors plant health, predicts crop yields, and sends automated alerts when issues arise.
The technology was developed with support from the Digital Leaders Programme of Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA).
Greenphyto has also established an office in Malaysia for limited exports, as well as an office in the Netherlands to market its farming systems globally. In addition, the company is preparing a technology spin-off named Arber.ai.
The inauguration of the farm took place after Singapore, in late 2025, adjusted its food security strategy by moving away from the “30 by 30” target and replacing it with new goals focused on fiber and protein production by 2035.
